


Justice Force Series

by hummerhouse



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2003)
Genre: Adult Content, Angst, Betrayal, Complete, Fetish, Het and Slash, Humor, Intrigue, Kinks, Language, Multi, Mystery, Robot/Human Relationships, Robot/Turtle Relationships, Romance, Turtle/Super Hero Relationships, Turtlecest, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-01
Updated: 2015-02-18
Packaged: 2018-02-23 12:42:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 100
Words: 226,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2547866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hummerhouse/pseuds/hummerhouse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Disclaimer: The TMNT are not mine. No money being made.<br/>Word Count: 231,724<br/>Summary: Back in 2011 I was part of a challenge to come up with not only the oddest pairing I could think of, but also to find a way to make it work.  Thus the Justice Force Series was born.  The concept got away from me and a 100 episode story was born - such is the way my mind flows!<br/>Rated: NC-17<br/>Some of the Fan Art attached to this story is EXPLICIT - NSFW</p>
<p><b>!!~~</b>Winner in the 2012 Adult Fan Fiction Awards - 2nd Place - JF85 Firestorm Raph vs Leo<b>~~!!</b><br/>If this was a soap opera, Master Splinter would be enthralled!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. JF1 Without Asking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This tantalizing preview was commissioned from the very talented Teratophelia on DeviantArt.  
> 

            Nano had come to deliver a message from Silver Sentry to the Turtle Titan.  For some reason, they could not reach him on his shell cell, and no one answered the messages left for him on Don’s computer.

            Of course, the Justice Force had no way of knowing that everyone was out of the lair for the night, except Michelangelo.  He had managed to talk them out of his company on their trip to April’s apartment to taste test some exotic teas.  He was so not interested in tea.

            He kinda hinted to Raph that his bro’ wouldn’t find tea all that interesting either, and maybe he should stay back with Mikey.  Raph could be so dense sometimes; like tonight for one.  Raph said screw the tea, he was gonna break open some beer with Casey and sit back to watch a little hockey with his bud.

            Mikey didn’t want tea, or beer, or hockey for that matter.  Mikey wanted sex, and all three of his brothers were being hopelessly clueless tonight.

            With a giant sigh, and the lair to himself, Mikey flipped over the back of the couch and settled on his shell against the cushions.  He pressed the button on the remote to turn on the televisions, and then grabbed the one that controlled the DVD player, quickly starting the movie he’d selected.

            It was one he’d swiped from Raph’s special stash, all porn, all the time.

            Three sexually active bro’s and here he was, stuck with his hand and a grainy porn flick.  Cursed Turtle luck.

            Mikey relaxed slowly and let his legs drop open as his eyes watched the onscreen action.  Sliding his hand down his plastron, he dipped between his thighs and rubbed at the slit housing his cock.  The two men in the movie were going at it hot and heavy, and Mikey’s dick was also starting to feel hot and heavy.

            Pressing the tips of his fingers into the slit, he teased the head of his cock until it started to slide free, wishing this wasn’t his hand doing all the work.

            Nano didn’t know about the etiquette of knocking or at least clearing one’s throat upon entry into someone’s home.  Firstly, the door was wide open, and secondly, he had no ‘throat’ to speak of.  Since the only sounds in the lair came from the direction of the TV room, that’s where he went.

            The images on the screen caught his attention immediately.  Almost everything he had ever learned about being human came from television, and he was not unfamiliar with sex.  He had just never seen anything this graphic.  Judging from the excited and happy sounds the men on the screen were making, this act must be one of the best parts of being human.

            Then he heard a similar sound from the couch and gravitated in that direction.  Splayed out before him was Michelangelo, eyes shut and face flushed, his hand moving rhythmically over his hardened penis.

            Nano had never seen anything quite so riveting.  He had always found the Turtle brothers to be outstanding physical specimens and Mikey was the Turtle who most shared his views on justice and the power of family.  And here Mikey lay, all alone, servicing himself rather than enjoying the company of another man, the way his television show portrayed this act.

            Just then, Mikey felt a presence and his eyes snapped open.

            “Nano!” Mikey yelped in surprise, his hand flying off his swollen cock.  He grabbed for a pillow to cover himself and sat part way up.

            “W..what..are . . . ?” Mikey stammered, too embarrassed to form words.

            Nano moved around the couch, his bright eyes never leaving Mikey’s.  “You are all alone,” he stated.

            “Umm, yeah, my bro’s and sensei went out for the night,” Mikey managed.

            “But you need family tonight,” Nano told him.

            “No, really . . . it’s okay to be alone sometimes,” Mikey explained.

            Nano seated himself on the couch close to Mikey’s feet.  “Family helps take care of needs,” Nano insisted.

            “Uh, okay.”  Mikey didn’t know what to say to that.  What does one say to a Nanobot about masturbation?

            “I will be – family,” Nano declared, pushing Mikey to lie back down.

            “Huh?”  Mikey asked, completely baffled.

            Without asking, Nano’s hand stretched out to grab Mikey’s cock, the hand changing as it moved to become larger and three fingered; a replica of Mikey’s own hand.  Mikey’s eyes widened in shocked surprise, and he braced himself, thinking the hand would be cold.

            Surprisingly, it was quite warm, and not exactly solid.  Thousands of tiny nanobots moved together to maintain the shape, and the resultant feeling on Mikey’s cock was extremely stimulating.

            “Oh shell,” Mikey murmured, thrusting into Nano’s hand involuntarily.

            “This is correct?” Nano asked him, stroking slowly from base to tip.

            “A little . . . mmph . . . a little faster,” Mikey managed, his eyes half shut.

            Nano’s hand sped up a fraction, each full stroke accompanied by thousands of tiny ones crawling over Mikey’s shaft.

            Mikey was panting now, sweat beading his skin.  This was totally wrong, totally, he told himself.  But shell if he could stop it.  He had never experienced such a strange and wonderful sensation wrapped around his cock and he was slowly losing himself.

            But Nano wasn’t finished.  A quick study, he now copied the movie onscreen and shifted so he was kneeling between Mikey’s legs.  The change in pressure on the couch cushions finally caught Mikey’s attention and he opened his eyes.

            His eyes almost blew out of their sockets as he watched the lower part of Nano’s body shift to form a giant cock.

            “N . . . Nano!  What the shell are you doing?”  Mikey started to move, but a third hand formed and shot forward to keep him down.

            “I will make you happy.”  Nano leaned over him and nudged his entrance.

            “God Nano, you have to prep me first!  You’re too big!” Mikey shouted, slightly panicked.

            The head of Nano’s new cock touched Mikey’s anus and the tiny nanobots quickly reformed to fit the opening.  A small stream of them swarmed into Mikey’s ass, moving forward in layers, until Nano was fully sheathed in Mikey’s body.  Then they began to expand and stretch him.

            To Mikey the sensation was almost like the hum of a vibrator on full.  His head fell back against the couch and his eyes glazed over.  His cock was leaking precome onto Nano’s hand and he wiggled his hips against the full feeling the nanobots were providing.

            The collective felt when their current host was completely stretched and ready for movement.  Nano slid back slowly, then forward again, alternating between watching Mikey’s face and the continuing onscreen action.

            Mikey’s churr was unexpected and loud.  Nano immediately stopped moving, wondering if the sound meant he’d done something incorrectly.

            “What is wrong?” Nano asked.

            “T . . . that’s a sound I make when I’m happy, Nano.  Please, keep going,” Mikey urged breathlessly.

            “Yes Mikey.”  Nano’s faced formed a smile and he thrust forward, copying his television counterpart’s movement.

            His first strike was lucky, hitting Mikey’s prostate dead on.  Mikey moaned and shook, his cock twitching in Nano’s hand.  Nano tightened his grip on Mikey’s cock and began to stroke it faster, matching the rhythm of his slide in and out of Mikey’s ass.

            “Oh, Nano, Oh.  That’s good, that spot.  Oh . . . k . . . keep hitting that . . . .”  Mikey groaned and churred, his head thrashing from side to side.

            With the precision only attainable by his kind, the little nanobots pressed against Mikey’s prostate again and again.  For good measure, Nano increased the size of the organ he was thrusting into Mikey’s body, earning him a loud gasp and a throaty, “Yessss.”

            Mikey’s legs began to tighten and his toes curled back.  The pressure in his dick was almost unbearable as he felt himself peaking.

            With a wild shout Mikey came, his orgasm hard and strong, splashing across his plastron and all over the myriad of nanobots forming the hand on his dick.  Nano kept squeezing and milking him until he was completely emptied.

            As Mikey’s body began to relax, Nano pulled himself out of Mikey’s ass and the nanobot penis reformed into a flat layer on Nano’s lower half.

            The movie in the DVD player reached its end as well, and stopped playing.

            At a loss, Nano sat and watched Mikey until the latter opened his eyes.

            “Wow, Nano.  That was awesome dude,” Mikey praised.

            “You are not lonely now?” Nano asked.

            “No way.  You made me the most not lonely guy in New York,” Mikey said with a smile.

            “Good.  Now whenever you need family, you will call me,” Nano insisted.

            “I sure will dude.”  Mikey was relaxed and fully sated, but a thought cut through the haze.  “Um, why are you here, Nano?”

            “I am delivering a message from Silver Sentry,” Nano explained.

            “Oh, well, what is it?” Mikey asked curiously.

            “Tonight’s Justice Force bi-monthly meeting has been cancelled,” Nano relayed.

            Mikey chuckled, leaning his head back on his arm.  “Good thing, since I forgot about it.  So, you got nothing to do tonight, huh?”

            Nano nodded.  “My night is free.”

            Mikey picked up the remote and asked slyly, “Wanna watch another movie?”  



	2. JF2 Touch Of Guilt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,425  
> Rated: NC-17  
> Summary: Mikey takes his friendship with Nano a little further, in spite of inner questions.

            “Damn it Mikey!” Raph cursed.  “This is the movie ya’ picked out for Casey ta rent.  Where the shell are ya’ goin’?”

            “Duty calls,” Mikey replied pulling on his Turtle Titan cape.

            “Geez Mikey, this is the third time this week.”  Donatello twisted around on the couch to watch his brother, dislodging Leo’s arm from his shoulder in the process.

            “That is a bit excessive, Michelangelo,” Leo agreed, his voice low as one hand caressed Don’s bicep.

            “Well, you guys knew when I agreed to be a Justice Force alternate that sometimes I’d have to fill in.  We’re a little short-handed right now with half the Force dealing with that problem in Canada,” Mikey explained quickly, moving towards the door.

            Raph was muttering under his breath as he leaned back in his chair, his attention already on the television screen.

            “Try not to be too late,” Leo called after Mikey as he got comfortable against Don.

            Mikey smirked.  Raph was sucking on a fresh beer and wouldn’t think about him again.  Leo and Don were well on their way to a heavy make-out, most probably followed by sex, session.

            That left Mikey to do as he pleased, and although it was his turn to choose a movie, something infinitely more interesting had come up.  And it really did have to do with the Justice Force.

            Well, sorta.

            Mikey was on his way to a surreptitious meeting with Nano.  No one knew about him and Nano yet, and he sorta wanted to keep it that way.  He could only imagine what his bro’s would say – stuff like _‘Geez, Mikey, he’s a robot!’_ , or _‘Ain’t he just an overgrown sex toy?’_ , or _‘He can’t possibly understand the implications, Mikey’_ , or _‘Aren’t you just using him?’_

            And if truth be told, Mikey was feeling a little guilty.  Nano was so enthusiastic about their friendship which had begun three weeks ago.   Since he didn’t really have feelings, he wasn’t able to comprehend how the sex made them different from a couple of plain old buddies.

            Mikey finally had to tell him that friends shared secrets with each other, but not with anyone else, and special friends were the only ones who did the sex thing.  He told Nano that made them sorta like family.

            Nano had been so overjoyed to hear that, he’d sworn to keep their special ‘relationship’ to himself always.  Thus Mikey’s little twinge of guilt.  Not enough to stop though, ‘cause Mikey found the sex to be different  - exciting and innovative.  Maybe he was obsessed.

            All Nano seemed to want in return was for Mikey to tell him about his day, or days depending on how long they’d been apart.  He liked to hear all the little boring family details and then he would ask questions, about why someone did this, or why someone said that.  Trying to understand about family Mikey guessed, or trying to be part of one, if only second hand.

            Mikey didn’t mind and he really didn’t worry too much about it, ‘cause the sex was awesome.

            Yep, maybe not an obsession.  Possibly an addiction.

            Mikey arrived at the high rise where they’d agreed to meet and scrambled up the fire escape quickly.  The pent house wasn’t completed yet and a well-placed grappling hook took Mikey over the balcony ledge and into the spacious and nearly empty interior.

            He crouched in the shadows and surveyed the expanse, eyes moving slowly.  This was part of their game; Nano wanted to learn to be a ninja, so Mikey was teaching him about stealth and hiding.

            Nano was having a problem with stealth, but the hiding thing he was pretty good at, considering he could turn into almost anything.

            Slipping further inside, Mikey noted the various workbenches scattered around, some power tools on a table, ladders and cans of paint.  Any of those things could be Nano.

            What he didn’t notice was the excessive number of pipes criss-crossing the ceiling.  Living in a sewer, it probably wouldn’t have struck him as incongruous anyway.

            The pipes shimmered as Mikey passed under them, and particles began to rain down behind the Turtle Titan, who didn’t notice.   Within seconds Nano had reformed, a big smile on his face.

            As quietly as he could he moved up behind Mikey and flung two arms around his friend.

            “Tag!” Nano cried delightfully.

            Mikey jumped and then started laughing.  “Okay, dude, you got me that time.  Where were you?”

            “Above you.”  Nano began pulling at his mask and cape, getting them off Mikey before he had a chance to protest.

            Mikey tried to turn around, but Nano had a tight hold on him, having the advantage of creating as many arms as he needed to get the job done.  Mikey’s shield, nunchucks and belt hit the floor next and then Nano’s mouth touched his neck, in the spot that always drove Mikey nuts.

            The effect was everything Nano could want.  Mikey groaned and tilted his head to the side, ceasing his struggles.

            Nano’s mouth wasn’t wet and hot, like his bro’s, but it was comprised of thousands of little nanobots who were seriously able to create sensations his skin could never get used to.  The tingle that rolled down his spine when Nano’s mouth crawled over his neck made his cock jump behind his shell.

            “Nano,” Mikey moaned, twisting his hips as his neck was assaulted.  Nano pressed himself against Mikey’s carapace and molded his body to fit his friend, so that a portion of nanobots could grab Mikey’s tail.

            “Shell!” Mikey yelped as the nanobots fully extended the little appendage and started caressing it.  A churr built deep in his chest, and it rumbled through his body as his tail stiffened.

            The churr prompted Nano to press forward with another set of nanobots, this group aimed at the small circular hole normally hidden by that stimulated tail.

            As soon as the first set of nanobots pushed past that tight ring of muscle, Mikey lost all control and his cock sprang free, his erection complete within seconds.

            Mikey’s legs were quivering.  “Oh, damn . . . Nano, couldn’t you have p . . . picked a place with a bed?” Mikey stuttered.

            “We do not need a bed, Mikey.  I am here,” Nano announced triumphantly and pulled Mikey backwards off his feet.

            Mikey shouted in surprise, bracing himself to hit the floor.  What he got was a bouncy thud.

            Nano had become a cot and pulled Mikey on top of himself.  The nanobots were still tugging on his tail, and Nano’s nanobot penis was expanding inside Mikey’s ass.

            Mikey’s eyes opened wide at the twin sensations and his cock responded by throbbing painfully.  Mikey moved a hand down to grab his dick so he could do something about his intense need, but Nano beat him to it.

            Nanobots swarmed over Mikey’s hips and covered his cock, forming a tight, constricting tunnel.

            “Ahhhh!  Nano, yes!” Mikey shouted.  The nanobot tunnel on his dick was moving up and down, squeezing his shaft, and the nanobot penis was moving in and out of his ass, both in perfect rhythm.

            “This is good for you, friend?” Nano asked.

            Mikey was almost beyond words.  “Yes,” he squeaked, feeling an unbearable pressure building in his groin.

            “I can do better,” Nano said, and with his penis, began to hit that little bundle of exceedingly sensitive nerves.

            Mikey yipped and thrust upwards with his hips, driving harder into the tight tunnel fitted over his cock.  His churrs grew louder, punctuated by the occasional drawn out groan, until his legs tightened and his hips plunged upwards and froze.

            His climax blasted through his body and he sprayed come all inside the nanobot tunnel.  Nano continued to thrust into his ass while Mikey’s cock expelled its seed, and the little nanobots ingested the milky substance eagerly.

            Nano stopped fucking him when Mikey began to relax.  The nanobot dick stayed rigid inside Mikey’s ass though; Mikey seemed to enjoy that while he basked in post-coital bliss.

            “Nano, that was sweet,” Mikey finally managed to say.

            “If you are happy, I am happy,” Nano responded, giving his friend a squeeze.

            “Yeah, then we’re both happy,” Mikey said, beginning to drift off a little.  Nano would hold him for a while, then wake him so he could get back to his brothers before anyone got suspicious.  It was their routine and they both liked it just fine.

            Neither of them noticed the set of eyes watching them from the shadows.


	3. JF3 Going Carefully

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 3,050  
> Rated: NC-17  
> Summary: As Mikey and Nano's special relationship grows stronger and they each begin to define their needs, a mystery suddenly develops.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This preview image was created by the very talented Teratophelia on DeviantArt.  
> 

            “Mikey, is there something you’re not telling us?”  Don walked over to where Mikey sat on the floor, comics spread out around him.

            The orange-banded turtle looked up from his latest Spiderman comic and blinked.

            “What are you talking about dude?” Mikey asked.

            “I thought the Turtle Titan was just helping out by monitoring calls while the Justice Force is short- handed.”  Don’s eyes were narrowed as he stared at Mikey, unblinking.

            _“Oh Shell,”_ Mikey thought, _“I’m seriously busted.”_

Putting on a bold face he said, “Yeah, ‘xactly what I’ve been doing. And working my tail off I might add.”

            “Then how do you explain this.”  Don brought Mikey’s Turtle Titan cape from behind his back.  It was covered in saw dust.

            Mikey’s eyes got big, his mouth opening to rush into hasty explanation when his brain stepped on the brake pedal.

            _“Whoa,”_ Mikey told himself, _“this is so not guilty evidence of anything.”_

            With a show of nonchalance, he shrugged and turned back to flipping through his comic.  “Um, it’s a dirty cape, Don.  You looking for some science behind that?”

            Don snorted.  “Capes do not become covered in saw dust when the person wearing them is sitting behind a desk answering phones.  Since you’re not a full-fledged member of the Justice Force, you are not supposed to go out on calls.  What if Leo finds out?”

            Mikey shot him a look over his shoulder.  “I wasn’t out fighting crime, Don.   I just brushed up against something coming back home last night.”

            “Mikey, this is fresh sawdust.  It even smells like new wood.  Tell me where you ran into that in the sewers,” Don demanded.

           Don was in that serious ‘digging for answers’ mode and Mikey knew he had to talk fast.

            “I never said I brushed against it in the sewers, _Donny._ ”  Mikey emphasized his brother’s name, allowing his voice to carry the “Oh Duh” sound.  “They’re doing some construction at JF headquarters and I was looking at the rooms they’re adding on.  Big deal.  It’s my costume and I’ll take care of it.”

            Don stood with the cape clutched in his hands for a few more minutes, staring at the back of Mikey’s head.  Mikey could feel him there and continued to ignore him, turning pages at random intervals to give the appearance of actually reading.

            Finally, Don sighed and walked away.  As soon as he was out of hearing, Mikey let out the breath he’d been holding.

            Close one.  He should have remembered to shake out his costume after his assignation with Nano in that empty penthouse apartment.  Sawdust was everywhere and the only reason Mikey didn’t have it all over him was because Nano was holding him off the floor.

            Mikey’s face flushed as he remembered last night’s encounter.  Shell that was hot!  Every time he met up with Nano he learned something new about his friend-slash-lover.  Nano was a fast learner and very, very talented.  He remembered everything Mikey liked, and knew exactly where and how to touch to bring Mikey off.

            Man, did he bring Mikey off.  Mikey lowered his cheeks onto his fists and tried to ignore the pressure under his shell.  With his luck, Leo would decide to call an evening practice and fighting with a boner was totally painful.

            The questions about why he had one would be equally as painful.   Genius Don was quite capable of putting that and the sawdust together and coming up with an embarrassing answer.

            At least they wouldn’t figure out who.  No way would they ever guess Mikey was having a secret fling with Nano.

            He was a little worried about having a lover.  The brothers hadn’t actually talked about being exclusive with each other, but he didn’t think any of them had gone outside the family with their needs.  Although he often wondered about Leo and Nobody.  Dark, mysterious, quiet, shadow freaks – seemed like a good match, and they did spend time together.

            Mikey grinned; shell yeah, that would be something, Leo and Nobody!  Maybe he should follow his bro’ some night when he was on his way to meet Nobody.  If he could catch Leo in a compromising position he would so have some serious blackmail material.  He could really use that leverage if anyone found out about Nano.

            Maybe they could double date.  Mikey started to chuckle, flipping through his comic book again.

            And then he sighed as the thought crossed his mind that Leo would probably admit his affair rather than submit to blackmail.  His guy was at least flesh and blood.

            “Guys, five minutes.  Weapons practice,” Leo called from the dojo.

            Speak of the devil.  Mikey closed his comics and piled them carefully, pushing them out of the traffic lane to avoid the damage from big, clumsy Raph feet.  This extra practice was so Donatello’s fault; this morning he had dropped the katana he was supposed to be getting better at using no less than three times.  Not fair Mikey had to suffer through another round of endless katas with a bokken to make up for that.

            Just as he jumped to his feet, his shell cell rang.

            “’Lo,” Mikey said quietly and cautiously.

            _“Michelangelo, it is Nano.”_ Nano’s bright, happy voice was loud over the cell phone.

            Mikey palmed the phone and quickly punched the button that lowered the volume.  “Um, hey Nano.  What’s up?”

            _“Can you come up tonight?”_ Nano asked.

            Mikey glanced over his shoulder.  Don was just entering the dojo and hadn’t paid any attention to him, but Raph would when he came out of the kitchen.

            “I dunno Nano, two nights in a row . . . .”  he said hurriedly.

            _“I will understand if you cannot. But I have a surprise for you when you are able to see me,”_ Nano proclaimed, sounding pleased with himself.

            Mikey swallowed, hard.  A Nano surprise usually meant that Mikey was in for some really, really hot sex.

            “I’ll make it tonight,” Mikey promised quickly.  “Where do you wanna meet?”

            _“The Justice Force building. No one is here tonight,”_ Nano explained.

            Mikey saw a flash of red.  “Be there when I can gotta go.”  He ran the words together and snapped the phone shut just as Raph came around the corner and quirked an eye ridge at him.

            Following his red banded brother into practice, Mikey was determined to concentrate and focus as hard as he could.  Maybe that way Leo wouldn’t fuss too much when he left the lair.

^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+

            Nano was very happy.  Mikey would come to see him tonight; he always did what he said he would do.

            If Mikey felt any guilt about using Nano, the nanobot had no thoughts of that at all.  His current relationship with Mikey was extremely rewarding.  Mikey was his family.

            From the moment his creator had given him the spark of life, Nano could only remember the need to belong.  Television had showed him that humans had families to whom they belonged and a family defined who you were.

            He had understood very little in those days, and his first real contact was who he bonded with.  The man he had chosen to be ‘daddy’ was a thief, but Nano didn’t understand that at the time.

            Nano had been angry with the Turtles then because they had destroyed a large portion of his collective and caused his ‘daddy’ to be taken away.  Likewise during his second incarnation, when the heartless doctor refused to play ‘mommy’ and his chosen ‘daddy’ was more concerned with stolen jewels.

            Through everything Mikey had been a constant.  He helped Nano find a place with the Justice Force and had become a good friend and confidant, never ridiculing Nano’s mistakes and always patiently willing to help him understand the humans who surrounded him. 

            Nano owed his very sentience to Mikey.  So when Mikey had needed family one night not so very long ago, Nano had moved their relationship in a different direction.

            He understood exactly what his was doing.

            Mikey was as different from the earth population as Nano himself.  Mikey understood Nano, and the Nano collective understood Michelangelo.

            That Mikey already had a family did not change Nano’s need.  The nanobot knew from watching television and movies that people could have many types of family.  He and Mikey were ‘intimate’ family.  Intimate family kept their intimacy to themselves because it was special and private.

            Nano enjoyed the time he could have with Mikey, and when his love was not available, Nano replayed their encounters on the television through his memory enhancements, always careful no one else was around.

            Mikey would have been surprised to know that the physical aspect of their relationship was not one sided.  Nano could feel things physically as well.  Heat and cold affected him; it could make him hurt, make him sluggish, even kill him.

            It could also excite him and give the collective a special thrill; like an overload of power that felt really, really . . . good.  Mikey’s special heat did that to Nano; his body heat and most especially the heat from Mikey’s semen.  Nano had discovered that their first night together as well.

            He would not be giving any of that up if he could help it.

^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+

            Of course Leo fussed when Mikey announced he had to go to Justice Force headquarters for a second night in a row.  He wouldn’t be Leo if he didn’t behave like an overprotective pain in the butt.  The fussing was minimal however, because Mikey had been good at practice.

            He’d been really good.  He’d been scary good.  Shell, he’d been _motivated_.  And it was a damn good thing his brothers didn’t know that.

            As Mikey started out, Don called after him, “Mikey, no Turtle Titan costume tonight?”

            Mikey turned around but kept walking backwards.  “Nah.  It’s still dirty and ‘sides, I’m just answering calls.  It’s not like anybody gets to see me.”

            Leo shrugged.  “Maybe he’s maturing.”

            Raph watched with narrowed eyes as Mikey left the lair.

            Nano met Mikey at the entrance to the Justice Force building.  Just as he’d said, the place was vacant except for Nano who was serving as guard of the gates for the night.  He left a force of nanobots to monitor the security systems, and led Mikey through the large corridors and into the area designated for bedrooms.

            Mikey had only been in Nano’s bedroom a couple of times.  It was extremely Spartan – a lot like Leo’s room in fact.  They could probably trade rooms for the night and neither would know the difference.

            Except that Nano’s room had a large screen television and a stack of DVD’s.  Leo was more of a book kind of guy.

            Mikey did note one addition that hadn’t been there before.  Against one wall lay a large double thick mat.  Since Nano didn’t really need to sleep, this makeshift ‘bed’ had to be for Mikey.

            With a wide grin, Mikey turned to ask Nano what his big surprise was when his friend suddenly swarmed all over him.   His gear was stripped from his body in one swift movement and then he found his arms pulled behind his back and felt something on his wrists binding him before he thought to put up a fight.  Too bad Nano happened to be stronger than he.

            When Mikey tried to move, Nano pushed against him, propelling them both backwards and Mikey’s carapace hit the wall with a resounding thud.

            Tilted as he was, with his legs awkwardly splayed in front of him, Mikey didn’t have much leverage as Nano pressed into him.  He could feel the nanobot army moving all over the lower portion of his body, even into the slit that housed his cock.

            Said cock becoming damn hard pretty fast.  “What the shell, Nano?” Mikey exclaimed with a gasp.

            Nano’s widely grinning face lifted to his and that’s when Mikey noticed that Nano now had a tongue.

            “I have been learning new things, Mikey,” Nano told him.  “I will take good care of you.”

            For the first time ever, Nano kissed Mikey directly on his mouth.  It was a very strange feeling as the nanobot tongue crawled passed his lips and slid against Mikey’s tongue in a surprisingly gentle yet erotic touch.

            Mikey churred and actively kissed back.  Whatever Nano was watching, Mikey was all for it.

            That is, until Nano pulled away from the kiss and forced a ball gag into Mikey’s mouth.

            “MMM, Mphh!” Mikey protested

            “You are very loud Mikey,” Nano told him.  “When you shout, it distracts you from feeling.  Tonight I will make you feel.”

            Mikey’s head thumped the wall as Nano moved all over his most sensitive areas, caressing, even pinching flesh.  He also applied pressure to parts of Mikey’s plastron that were thin enough to feel the touch, especially Mikey’s center frontline.  Nano moved up and down that part of his body until Mikey’s cock was out; twitching and very, very hard.

            A collection of nanobots moved into Mikey’s ass and expanded slowly like an inflating balloon until he was as stretched as he could possibly become.  Mikey’s thighs were trembling, his legs threatening to buckle as the nanobot penis began to move, not only with a solid in and out motion, but also twisting and rolling like a giant tornado cock.

            It quickly found his prostate and pounded against those nerves, making Mikey’s eyes roll back and a deep groan issue from his throat.  He would have shouted his encouragement if not for the damn ball gag in his mouth.

            Nano began to lick his way down Mikey’s body then; using his new unique tongue he tasted Michelangelo, letting the Turtle’s heat feed his own special need.

            Mikey felt everything so much more intensely without the ability to shout, he found to his surprise.  He could tell without looking that Nano’s mouth was close to his cock; his organ bounced in anticipation, already both painful and needy.

            Nano touched his tongue to the head of Mikey’s cock and twirled a tiny group of nanobots over the tip.  Mikey shuddered and churred, letting Nano know he was performing the action correctly.  Nano had watched many hours of pornography to learn how to give his Mikey a blow job, and he intended to be perfect.

            His mouth closed around Mikey’s shaft and he moved until he had swallowed all of Mikey.  Nanobots danced in continuous motion over every square inch of penis, even crawling in and out of the slit.  Mikey’s eyes closed when Nano squeezed tightly around his organ and began to pump him, without ever having to completely remove his ‘mouth’.

            Nano’s tongue stroked the underside of Mikey’s shaft the entire time.

            “Mmm…mmmuuuuhhh!” Mikey moaned behind his gag, shaking and rolling his hips as he was both fucked and sucked.

            The feelings were delicious and crazy and Mikey was trying to hang on as long as he possibly could, but Nano was equally determined.  The pounding in his ass increased in speed and intensity, something started to stroke his tail, and the ‘mouth’ began to move faster, sliding up and back in a continuous tight wave, while nanobots crawled all over his slit.

            Something bright flashed behind Mikey’s eyes as he squeezed them tight and he held his breath.  Sweat dribbled over his collar bones, his fingers scrabbled at the wall and a current ran through his gut, gathered at the base of his cock, and exploded.

            “Gahhhmmmm!!!!” Mikey shrieked around the ball gag, climaxing with immense power.  His legs couldn’t hold him and he would have collapsed as he came, except that Nano held onto him, the little nanobots gathering his seed ecstatically.

            Completely spent, Mikey eyes opened to stare blankly at the ceiling.  He was barely aware of himself, his entire body numb.  It took a few minutes before he noticed that he wasn’t leaning on the wall any longer; he lay on his side on the mat in Nano’s room, and the ball gag was being removed.

            Mikey opened and closed his mouth a few times, and tapped his tongue against the roof of his mouth trying to wet it enough to speak.  Nano untied his hands and Mikey took some time to flex his fingers and rotate his wrists before pulling his arms from behind his back and rolling onto his carapace.

            Nano was leaning over him, still wearing the smile that had started this whole thing.

            “Geez, Nano, where’d you learn to do that?” Mikey asked.

            “The video store had an entire bin of movies on ‘clearance’.  They were very cheap.  Mikey, what is clearance?” Nano asked.

            Mikey rolled his head towards the new set of DVD’s.  “Um, clearance is when the store has something they don’t want to stock anymore.   Hang on a sec.”

            With an effort, Mikey crawled to his feet and limped over to the movie collection.  Glancing through the stack, Mikey groaned.  They were all bondage films!

            “Oh Nano, we really need to talk dude,” Mikey informed him as he made his way back to the mat on shaky legs.

            When he lay back down, Nano wrapped his body around his lover and as Mikey drifted into a gentle sleep, Nano shut down a large portion of the collective in order to join him.

            A few hours later, Mikey was up and getting dressed.   He’d overslept just a little and didn’t want the night spoiled by an ass chewing.  Everything was in place except for one wrist guard.  Try as he might, he could not find it.

            With a shrug, he bade Nano a goodnight, kissing him on his ‘mouth’, and left.

            Ninja stealth was required upon entering the lair.  He could hear Don moving around in his lab, and Raph had fallen asleep in front of the televisions, his snores echoing  through their home.  Leo was nowhere to be seen, which wasn’t necessarily a good thing.  Big brother was sorta like a spider, a lot less scary when you knew where it was.

            Somehow, he made it to his bedroom without being busted.  Closing the door with a big sigh, Mikey turned towards his bed and froze.

            Lying directly in the center of the mattress, atop his blankets, was the missing wrist guard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This image was created for this story by the incredible Teratophelia on DeviantArt.  
> 


	4. JF4 Affirmation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 2,752  
> Rated: NC-17  
> Summary: Mikey tries to decide if he cares about being spied upon while working out his feelings for Nano.

            Ask.  Don’t ask.

            Three days had passed since Mikey had last seen Nano.  Three days since Mikey came home to the lair to discover his missing wrist guard sitting in the middle of his bed.  Three days since he’d lost that wrist guard during a sexual romp with his friend Nano.

            No one had cornered Mikey to question him about his affair.  Whoever had taken the wrist guard must have witnessed Nano giving Mikey a blow job.  A really, hot, intense blow job.

            It had to be one of his brothers, Mikey just couldn’t figure out which one.

            And the culprit wasn’t talking.  Okay, two could play that game.  Mikey was not going to let on that finding that wrist guard on his bed was even the least bit meaningful.

            Even as he made that decision, his eyes wandered from brother to brother.  Don would have just asked him to explain what was going on between Mikey and Nano.  Donny was very straightforward, his scientific mind wanted answers, not more riddles.  No way would he torment Mikey this way.

            Raph didn’t have the mentality required for the kind of finesse required to swipe the wrist guard while Nano and Mikey were distracted.  Raph would have asked what the fuck was going on while his brother was in the middle of being sucked off.

            Now Leo.  He could picture Leo in stealth mode, sneaking in to Justice Force HQ, following Mikey to Nano’s room and discovering Mikey’s secret.  He could even picture Leo taking the wrist guard.

            But his mind balked at the idea of Leo setting that wrist guard on Mikey’s bed and walking away.  Leo would have waited for Mikey to come home, waved the band of leather under Mikey’s face and demanded an accounting of himself.

            He’d lived with his bro’s in close quarters for his entire life and he knew them.  So who was playing cat and mouse with him?

            Nobody was giving anything away and although Mikey maintained his poker face and hey, now, business as usual, the question still rolled around in his head.

            Should he just ask them?  Should he just gather them at the kitchen table and say “Guys, Nano and I are doing it, and I’m happy.  Nano is happy.  So which one of you already knows?”

            Or should he keep his mouth shut?  Ask.  Don’t ask.  Oh, shell.

            It was movie night again and tonight it had been Don’s turn to choose.  Nano had called earlier and Mikey had put him off, saying he’d call him later because he had some Turtle business to attend to.

            Mikey almost said family business but caught himself.  The word ‘family’ was a strange trigger for Nano, who considered Mikey to be his boyfriend, and therefore family meant that Nano was supposed to be involved.

            Mikey wasn’t ready for that kind of involvement just yet.

            He was in charge of making the popcorn and by the time he joined his bro’s, they had already started the movie.

            “What are we watching?” Mikey asked, setting the bowl on the coffee table and parking himself on the floor next to it.

            Don told him, “I, Robot.”

            Dead silence around him other than the sounds coming from the television.  Mikey chanced a look over his shoulder, bracing for a confrontation.

            His brothers were all relaxed and intent on the movie.  Apparently, no one was in the least bit interested in him or his reaction.

            Mikey snaked a hand into the bowl of popcorn and grabbed some, trying to appear as normal as possible.  Okay, so maybe the movie choice was pure coincidence.  But Mikey wasn’t sure he really believed in coincidence.

            It was probably a good movie.  Donny kept muttering to himself whenever there was any ‘nerd speak’, Leo leaned forward whenever Will Smith dug up a new clue, and Raph was off the couch for every fight scene.

            Mikey was just glad there was no pop quiz when the movie ended, because he couldn’t have answered a single question.

            “That ain’t ever gonna happen,” Raph commented when Don got up to eject the DVD and return it to its case.

            “What’s never going to happen?”  Leo wanted to know.

            “Robots.”  Raph sat back, his arms crossed over his plastron.  “Not like that.  Walking around and doin’ everything for people?  Nah.”

            “Computers do almost everything now, Raph,” Don told him.  “They just don’t have legs yet.  They’ve made great strides in artificial intelligence in the last few years.  If you program them with the correct parameters, they can even anticipate someone’s needs.”

            “Exactly my point.”  Raph leaned forward.  “They gotta be programmed.  No damn computer is gonna just start thinking on its own.  And they ain’t gonna have feelings either.  They’re machines.”

            Mikey couldn’t take it anymore.  “Nano has feelings,” he blurted out.

            All three of his brothers looked at him.  Mikey looked back, waiting for them to finish the charade.

            Then Don said, “Nano has learned response Mikey.  He mimics what he sees, but that doesn’t mean he’s feeling anything.”

            “How do you know?” Mikey asked.  “Maybe that’s all feelings are.  Everybody reacts to things differently depending on who they are and how they grew up.”

            Leo spoke up, “He does have a point Don.  Nano seems to be able to adapt and to learn and grow.  You have to admit that even the esteemed doctor isn’t sure what she did when she created the nanobots.  She certainly didn’t expect to have a swarm of nanobots so intently focused on being human.”

            “What she did was introduce them to the idea of humanity so she could use their artificial intelligence as miniature surgeons.  The collective follows a prescribed schematic.  She was just in too big a hurry and didn’t understand the nanobots need to understand the humans it was supposed to interact with.  They weren’t meant to have cognitive thought,” Don argued.

            “I don’t know what all those big words mean Donatello, all I know is Nano thinks for himself and he has real feelings,” Mikey announced stubbornly.

            Raph stared at him.  “You’re getting kinda worked up Mikey.  How ya’ know so much about Nano anyway?”

            Mikey pulled up, sensing an elaborate trick.  Was this whole evening some kind of intervention or a set up to get him to admit something?

            Carefully choosing his words, Mikey answered, “Well, you know I’ve spent a lot of time with everyone in the Justice Force lately.  Nano and I have talked.  You guys know how curious he is and how much he wants to belong.  No way would a walking computer have those kinds of needs.”

            “Is that why ya’ been spending so much time with the Justice Force, Mikey?  Ya’ been sittin’ around talkin’ to Nano?” Raph asked.

            “Maybe.”  Mikey quirked an eye ridge at him, deciding to push back a little.  “You got a problem with that?”

            “Why would I have a problem with ya’ spending time with a robot?” Raph growled.

            “Nanobot,” Mikey corrected him.  “There’s a difference.”

            “Getting kind of defensive, Mikey,” Don observed quietly.

            “I don’t question you guys about your friends,” Mikey huffed.

            “We weren’t questioning your friendship, Michelangelo,” Leo told him.

            Mikey stood up.  “Good.  ‘Cause I’m going over to Justice Force headquarters right now to finish a conversation I started with Nano earlier.  Anybody got something they wanna say about that?”

            He waited, his shoulders tense.  Surely whichever of them had spied on him would admit it now.  No point in carrying on with the game.

            Don shrugged and sat down.  Raph snorted and waved a hand at him dismissively.

            Leo said, “Please be careful Mikey.  You know there are Foot patrols who would love to catch you topside alone.”

            Mikey’s mouth dropped.  He stammered, “Y . . . yeah sure Leo.  Don’t wanna end up as somebody’s turtle soup.”

            Exiting the lair Mikey ran the sewers for a couple of miles, then doubled back to watch his back trail.  No one seemed to be following him.  Waiting in a hidden alcove, he tried to wrap his mind around what had just happened.

            His brothers all acted like they had no clue that Mikey and Nano were an item.  There was absolutely no point to it unless one of them was playing a deep game.

            Or the spy wasn’t one of his brothers.

            Mikey shook his head in disgust and worked his way out of the sewers.  Whoever was onto him had to be one of his bro’s.  Only a ninja could have followed him without his knowing it and snuck past the security at the JF building.  Not to mention finding their lair, bypassing Don’s security and getting in and out of Mikey’s room unnoticed.

            When he reached the top of a nearby office building, Mikey took out his shell cell and called Nano.  He was most certainly not going to the JF building tonight.

            “Mikey!” Nano answered with obvious glee.

            Mikey closed his eyes.  How could anyone say Nano couldn’t have feelings when he answered a call that way?

            “Hey Nano.  Sorry I couldn’t talk earlier dude.  You wanna meet up somewhere?” Mikey asked.

            “Of course, Mikey.  I will always be happy to see you.  Where shall we meet?”

            “Umm, you know that tunnel  under  35th and Jefferson?  In that little park?  Meet me there in half an hour,” Mikey said.

            “I will be there,” Nano assured him.

            Mikey used all his skill to avoid being followed.  It didn’t really matter because the one who might be following already knew his secret.  He was just determined not to make it easy.

            Nano was in the tunnel when Mikey arrived.  Before Mikey could greet him, Nano wrapped him in a tight hug and kissed him full on the mouth, nanobot tongue and all.

            Somewhere in the back of Mikey’s head was the thought that someone might be watching, but Nano was so forceful with his greeting that for the first time in three days, Mikey didn’t give a damn.

            Breaking the kiss reluctantly, Mikey pulled Nano to a large grate set in the side of the tunnel.  Between them they worked the heavy metal covering loose and slipped inside the sewer drain, pulling the grate into place behind them.

            Nano took Mikey’s hand as they walked a little ways from the opening.  The gesture was so sweet and innocent that Mikey smiled and squeezed lightly.

            When they finally found a place to stop, Nano surprised Mikey with a question.

            “What is wrong Michelangelo?”

            Mikey stared at Nano’s face.  He knew the form that appeared solid to him was actually a collective of thousands – millions – of tiny nanobots, all working in concert.  He knew the pieces could move to take whatever shape they wanted because Nano had evolved beyond the need to take junk to give himself substance.

            Knowing all of that didn’t change the fact that Nano was very real and important to him.  Nano was an individual who had hopes, dreams, desires and feelings.  No matter what his brothers tried to rationalize, Nano was more than a robot to him.

            With a smile, Mikey said, “Absolutely nothing.  I kinda missed you is all.”

            Nano’s responding grin was wide.  “I missed you as well.  Do you want to play?”

            “I dunno Nano.”  Mike shook his head.  He didn’t want to be gone all that long from the lair.  Giving his brothers additional ammunition wasn’t a good plan right now.  “I just wanted to see you. “

            “Perhaps if you are properly tempted you will spend more time with me?” Nano asked in a teasing manner.

            Mikey cocked an eye ridge at him.  What the shell had Nano been watching now?

            “I like to spend time with you Nano,” Mikey said.

            “Then stay a while.”  Nano suddenly dropped to his knees, spun away from Mikey, placed his hands on the ground and lifted his rear end into the air.  An exact replica of Mikey’s tail appeared on Nano’s posterior and it wagged enticingly.

            Mikey’s eyes opened wide.  Nano had an ass to go with that tail and it was really cute.

            Cute and hot.  Nano lifted the tail and showed Mikey a small hole, then lowered the tail and waggled it.

            “I do not always have to be the aggressor,” Nano announced in the same teasing manner.

            Mikey’s eyes were riveted to the cute Nano tail waving at him invitingly.  He could feel his cock start to swell and his hands curled into fists.  Nano sat back a little, dropping his ass towards the ground, then straightened, the tail lifting again to flash a small glimpse of that little round opening.

            With a loud churr, Mikey dropped down, blood rushing into his cock and filling it into a proper erection.  He wrapped his hand around the shaft and pumped his dick while his eyes stayed completely transfixed on the tantalizing display Nano was affording him.

            Once more, the tail flipped up, flashed him and lowered to wriggle suggestively.  It was all Mikey could take.

            Striding forward, Mikey wrapped his hands around Nano’s hips and forced the tail aside with his gigantically hard cock.  Pressing against the opening, Mikey churred and then moaned to find the fit to be as tight as the real thing, with the amazing sensory addition of crawling, squirming nanobots playing over his organ.

            Since he didn’t have to worry about hurting his partner, or allowing him time to adjust to his girth, Mikey thrust forward as hard as he could.  As usual, he was surprised at how warm the nanobots were as they jumped and swarmed around his invading pole.

            Mikey groaned and pulled back, then thrust again.  Nanobots crawled over the tip of his dick as he pushed in and they tickled his skin.  The sensation made him shudder and his eyes closed.

            Nano rocked back against him with his next thrust, maintaining the tight hold he had on Mikey’s cock.  The nanobots were touching every square inch of his dick, including the interior of his sensitive slit, searching for his precome.  Mikey began to move faster as he grew more excited, the pressure at the base of his groin dictating his pace.

            Hard and fast, Mikey moved in and out of Nano’s collective, breathing in strained gasps.  Concentrating on the tantalizing knot forming in his gut, he churred loudly, and was entranced to hear an echoing churr from his partner.

            With a deep chuckle, Mikey pumped Nano’s ass rhythmically, determined to hold on as long as he could, because it just felt so good.

            But he wasn’t superhuman, and he couldn’t last forever.  Nano’s ass seemed to squeeze tighter around him as Mikey felt his cock twist and grow hot.  Panting, he leaned over Nano, losing his rhythm as he slid in and out in shorter, static pops.  His plastron rasped against the little Nano tail and a sudden large surge of nanobots crawled across the head of his dick and into his slit.

            Mikey cried out Nano’s name loudly as he climaxed, his come spraying in a hard wash into his lover.  His hips continued to move as nanobots swirled over his penis, eagerly consuming his white, hot semen.

            Gasping for air, Mikey collapsed onto Nano’s back, shivering through several orgasmic aftershocks.  Nano quickly inverted himself and wrapped strong arms around Mikey’s carapace, while lowering the both of them slowly to the ground.

            When he caught his breath, Mikey said, “Wow.  Nano.”

            Nano kissed the top of his head.  “I love you Michelangelo.”

            Mikey blinked and sucked in a quick breath.  Rubbing his cheek against Nano’s chest, he looked up.  “You know what dude?  I think I love you too.”

            “Family,” Nano affirmed with what sounded like a contented sigh.

            Mikey realized he meant what he said.  Nano was real and individual.  He was kind, innocent and cared about doing the right thing.  Just because he wasn’t flesh and blood didn’t make him less of a person.  His brothers could argue that point until their green faces turned blue.

            Mikey just didn’t care about that stuff anymore.  It was nice to have someone who needed him and trusted him and didn’t make him feel like the baby.

            The only concern Mikey had at this moment was which of his brothers had learned his secret and had for some unknown reason, decided to hang onto it for a while longer.

            Somebody in his family was playing a _really_ deep game.  Mikey just wished he understood why.


	5. JF5 Epiphany

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 135  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Leo's thoughts about a certain nameless friend.

            A bullet meant for plastron deflected by a vest, a dark cape creating a shadow for him to fade into.  A voice as soft as his; as determined and driven as his.

            An unmasked face, lined with secret sorrows, secret sins and secret passions; the glimpse he’s given not shown to anyone else.

            Quick movement indicating hidden power.  Use of shadow and light mimicking his own.  Unspoken trust.

            Someone who relied on him and could be relied upon.

            Quiet conversation and a melding of minds.

            Leo lay on his bed unknown to sleep.  Eyes wide and staring at the ceiling, his thoughts unwilling to be caught and stilled.

            Sitting up, he rubbed a wearied hand across his face and dealt with his epiphany.

            Leonardo didn’t want the man to be Nobody any longer.


	6. JF6 Open Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 296  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Leo gathers information rather than leaping headfirst (unlike his hot headed bro').

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview image created for this story by the very talented Teratophelia on DeviantArt.  
> 

            Leonardo couldn’t contain his need to know any longer.

            “Nobody, do you have a, um, significant other?” he asked.

            Nobody glanced at him, wondering at his friends train of thought.

            “No. I had a wife once, but when my career went so did she,” Nobody responded, then asked, “How about you?”

            Leo’s response was a quick bark of derisive laughter.

            “I concede your point,” Nobody replied with mild amusement.

            They were both silent for a time, mellow in each other’s company as they kept watch from their chosen rooftop.

            Then Leo inquired, “You ever think about trying again?”

            “For a relationship?” Nobody queried.

            Leo’s curt nod was his answer.

            “Actually, no,” Nobody explained. “Not really. My life’s too complicated right now and I don’t foresee a change in the near future. I don’t want to deal with juggling two lives and having the need to hide who I am from someone.”

            Leo shifted a bit before asking, “Suppose you met someone who already knew all your secrets?”

            The silence lasted longer this time as Nobody tried to guess Leo’s ulterior motives.

            His turtle friend studiously avoided looking at him.

            “I suppose if they knew my secrets and understood why I do this, I might be interested,” Nobody said carefully. “The two of us would have to be willing to accept the danger we’d both be in. You know Leo, I haven’t met many women who’d be willing to walk that path with me.”

            Leo looked directly at him, then away again.

            In a softer tone, Leo asked, “I suppose it would have to be a woman?”

            The truck they had been waiting for pulled into the alley. The two friends readied themselves.

            Just before leaping to the street below, Nobody answered.

            “Not necessarily.”


	7. JF7 Other Side Of The Coin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 378  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Leo isn't the only one who needs time to think.

            The truck he and Leo had taken was filled with supplies bound for a large meth lab. His Turtle friend was as efficient and silent as ever; overpowering the driver and two guards took them but a moment. Trussing the men and tossing them in the back of the truck, and then driving it to the police sub-station was just as quick.

            That was last night. They had parted company after that, both having been out late enough. Now Nobody waited at the agreed upon meeting spot, a plan for the night’s activities already formulated.

            Leo wasn’t late. Nobody had come early in order to think.

            His aborted conversation with Leonardo needed analyzing. That his friend was different from him he oftentimes forgot because they were so much alike on so many other levels. Nobody had left the answer to Leo’s final question purposely vague.

            He hadn’t wanted to tell his friend yes if Leo was asking the question Nobody was hoping for; he hadn’t wanted to say no in case of a misunderstanding.

            A yes would have shut down the subject completely, with the distinct possibility that Leo would have shut down as well. Nobody admitted to himself that he couldn’t abide that. The Turtle’s company was the only thing that seemed to bring any kind of joy into his life.

            A no would have forced his friend to push the point further and Nobody was sure Leo was not really ready for that. Nobody, who had more experience, needed to think about just what Leo had been saying.

            Leonardo was a teenager. Covered in battle scars, wise beyond his years, weighted with family responsibility, wearied by tragedy and hardship.

            But still a teenager.

            Nobody was an adult, much older in years than the boy/man he called friend. Nobody’s life was almost as harsh as Leo’s, but it was a life of his own choosing. He understood the ramifications of his actions; he understood life.

            He understood about love and commitment, and what it meant to have to lose both. He thought he understood Leo’s longing as well; he knew what the Turtle wanted.

            Leo was a teenager. As badly as Nobody might want the same thing, his friend was too young.


	8. JF8 Spread Too Thin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,607  
> Rated: NC-17  
> Summary: Is there enough Mikey to go around? (Contains TCest - brother loving brother)

            “There’s some fucking weird shit going on with my bro’s,” Raph announced without preliminaries, accepting the beer Casey handed him.

            Seating himself on the rooftop ledge next to his Turtle bud, Casey asked, “Is that why you’re beating on my window at one fuckin’ a.m.?”

            Raph snorted and looked sidelong at Casey. “What’s the problem, I interrupt ya’ doing it with April?”

            “Shove it.” Casey took a swig of his beer and waited.

            Finally, Raph asked, “Ya’ noticed anything Case? I mean, ‘bout Mikey or Leo?”

            “No.” Casey swirled his beer around the inside of the bottle. “They seem normal ta me. Maybe Mikey’s been happier lately, but that don’t mean shit. I noticed he gets like that when one of ya’ been giving it to him regular.”

            Raph didn’t answer. If Mikey was getting fucked on a regular basis, Raph wasn’t the one taking care of business.

            Shell maybe that was the answer. Maybe Leo and Mikey were getting a little more hot and heavy with each other than normal. Maybe they were even thinking about becoming exclusive.

            “Oh, fuck no,” Raph growled, taking another pull at his beer.

            Casey shot him a look. Waiting for an answer, he finished his bottle and set the empty down. As the minutes dragged by, he began to wish he’d brought the whole six pack with him.

            Raph spent about ten minutes trying to think it through before deciding that shit was for Leo or Don. When Raph wanted answers, he made somebody give them to him.

            Chugging the rest of his beer, he handed the empty to Casey and jumped to his feet.

            “Gotta run. Later man.” Raph bounded across the roof and disappeared.

            Casey shook his head, not sure if he really wanted to know what the hell was going on.

************************************

            The sun was bright and warm on his shell as Mikey stood in the summer’s breeze, the kite dancing under his direction.

            All around him people enjoyed the fine windy day. Not one of them paid the least bit of attention to Mikey and he smiled happily.

            Looking up to tug on his kite, Mikey saw that it was Nano. Nano smiled down at him and rode the breeze, flying higher than any other kite.

            When Mikey pulled a bit on the string, Nano dipped and rose in response. Then the Nano kite broadened in width, sweeping down from the sky and enveloping Mikey in warm ecstasy.

            Mikey fell to the soft grass as Nano melded into his body to stoke passion’s fire. The Turtle churred his approval, his blood heating along with his cock. He looked up into Nano’s eyes as his friend’s mouth moved towards his, seeing intense desire where he never imagined seeing any kind of emotion.

            Just before their lips touched, Nano began to dissolve, pieces falling to the grass around Mikey and melting into the earth. Confused, Mikey began to call his friend, screaming for him to come back.

            Mikey woke with a violent start. He was breathing hard and his skin was damp with perspiration. The dream was so damn vivid; the powerful emotion of losing Nano starting tears to his eyes.

            It didn’t help that he was also in pain from a raging erection. Why couldn’t the freaking wet dream continue long enough to satisfy his need?

            Just as he was stretching out a hand to take care of the problem, his door opened.

            “Yo Mikey, ya’ okay in here? I just got home and heard ya’ yellin’ all the way downst….whoa!” It was Raph and he had spotted Mikey’s stiff cock.

            The look on his brother’s face shifted quickly from concern to desire.

            “Looks like ya’ might be needing a little help there bro’,” Raph observed lustfully. He moved into the room and pushed the door shut behind him.

            Mikey started to get up, sputtering, “It’s okay Raph, I’ll take a cold show…”

            Raph’s sais hit the floor and Raph was on top of Mikey almost simultaneously.

            “Fuck the cold shower, Mikey,” Raph breathed heavily against Mikey’s mouth, before crushing it with his own.

            Raph’s hands roamed over Mikey’s body even as his tongue took control of his brother’s mouth. Strong fingers stroked the plastron beneath him, thumbed sensitive ribs unprotected by shell, and followed the contour of narrow hips to dip down below Mikey’s carapace and knead Mikey’s cute ass.

            Mikey’s lower half shifted in response to the attention, his dick twitching as it was pressed between two bodies. When he whimpered, Raph lifted his mouth and switched his attack to Mikey’s neck, diving to nip, bite and suck at skin that tasted so wonderful to him.

            “Oh crap, Raphie!” Mikey groaned, lifting his hips to rub his cock against Raph’s plastron, desperate for friction.

            Somewhere in the back of his clouded mind, he wondered just what the shell he was doing.

            Blue eyes wide and staring at the ceiling, Mikey had the thought that maybe he should push Raph away and tell him he was spoken for. Mikey and Nano were lovers; he shouldn’t be doing things with his brother’s anymore.

            Raph’s hot mouth on his cock squashed that random thought quickly.

            “Shell!” Mikey exclaimed and felt the vibration of Raph’s chuckle against his rigid shaft ripple through to his gut.

            Pressing his head into the mattress, he lifted his hands to the back of Raph’s skull and held it in wordless encouragement.

            “Okayokayokayokay,” Mikey managed to moan as his brother deep throated his pulsating cock.

            _“Stopstopstopstop.”_ The thought wound through Mikey’s head, guilt lacing his need.

            Need was winning as an intense pressure began to build in his loins. Raph’s head bobbed up and down on Mikey’s penis and Mikey’s eyes were half shut as he pushed against his brother’s head, urging him to go faster.

            Raph’s mouth left Mikey’s dick with a resounding slurp.

            “Ra~phie!” Mikey whined like a two year old. Raph’s dark laugh almost pushed him the rest of the way over.

            Rough hands spread Mikey’s legs. Strong arms rolled him further back on his shell and lifted his hips. A wet finger traced his entrance just before pushing its way inside of him.

            “Mikeyyyy,” Raph hissed as his finger swirled around in the tight heat of his brother’s body. “Been too long bro’. Gonna fuck ya’ now. Gonna fuck ya’ hard.”

            “Yessss,”Mikey churred, as Raph stung his ass with a second finger, widening him further.

            The fingers came out suddenly, and Raph’s cock dropped down, completely erect and throbbing. He gripped the shaft and lined himself up with Mikey’s anus, then pushed in with one quick, sharp thrust.

            “Dude!” Mikey yelped, jumping at the abruptness of Raph’s entrance.

            A strong hand wrapped around his cock and made him forget about the burn in his ass. Raph started to drive into him while pumping Mikey’s dick.

            Mikey fisted the sheets, sweat glistening on his sea green skin. Maybe, maybe this was not so bad. Maybe they could just share. Yeah, share Mikey, that was it; Nano and his bro’s. Plenty of the Mikester to go around.

            He gasped as Raph struck the sensitive bundle of nerves deep inside his body. A quiver ran over him and his cock twisted in Raph’s hands, so hot and rough against his skin. His brother pumped his dick, and then ran a slick hand up over the head before gripping it to pump and squeeze. Long experience told him what to do and how to read Mikey’s reactions.

            Nano’s hand was warm and smooth, Mikey thought. Nano’s touch belonged to him and no one else. Nano loved him and, and, and….

            “’S that what’s wrong with ya’ bro’, ya’ just been needing a good, hard dicking?” Raph growled as he continued to plunge his massive organ deeply into Mikey’s ass.

            Mikey bit back the hysterical laugh that threatened to spill out. Then his breath caught and held as Raph shifted positions and drove deeply enough to stab Mikey’s prostate again and again until Mikey saw stars.

            “AAHHH! Raph!” Mikey shrieked, his climax long and powerful. Come shot out of his dick in long, ropey spurts, splattering Raph’s hand and arm, and both their plastrons; some even hitting Raph’s shoulder.

            “Good, Mikey, gooood!” Raph churred, leaning into him and losing his rhythm. Frantically pushing into Mikey, Raph reached for his peak.

            Mikey’s convulsions caused the muscles in his ass to clamp down on Raph’s cock. With a sharp cry, Raph jammed his dick all the way to the hilt in Mikey’s hole and came.

            Gasping for air, Raph closed his eyes and ground his cock inside his brother, completely emptying his seed into the accepting warmth.

            Mikey’s eyes were shut and he worked to even out his breathing. Raph pulled out and rolled over onto his carapace next to the orange banded turtle, feeling a little dizzy from the intense fuck.

            “Shit Mikey, and I was worried about ya’,” Raph groaned.

            Mikey’s eyes popped open. Rolling his head to the side, he asked, “Uh, what for?”

            “Ya’ been actin’ all weird, bro’. Disappearing and then coming home all bouncy. I was beginning ta think Leo and ya’ was trying ta pair up or something. ‘Cause he’s been actin’ kinda weird lately, too.”

            “I’ve just been happy, Raph.” Mikey talked fast. “That’s all. The Justice Force needing my help and all. It was making me really, really happy.”

            “S okay, then,” Raph murmured sleepily. “Just so ain’t nobody trying ta take ya’ away from me.”

            Okay, Mikey thought as he watched Raph fall asleep. Maybe sharing wasn’t such a great plan after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Image created for this story by the very talented Teratophelia on DeviantArt.  
> 


	9. JF9 Dance Inside The Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 671  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: A conversation begins, but do either actually say anything?

            “Time to go, Leo. We can’t afford to be seen.” Nobody stated the obvious, as the wail of sirens drew closer.

            A raging inferno burned in their wake; a building being completely consumed by a fire intentionally set and encouraged by the pair who now took their leave of the finale.

            They sought the safety of the rooftops; one by way of rope and grappling hook, the other through the sheer power of muscles and skill honed over a lifetime.

            Side by side they stood and observed the aftermath of their handiwork. The cache of illegal arms and ammunition that had been inside was completely destroyed. A small victory against the grand scheme of things, but a victory nonetheless.

            A silence fell between them that was unusual. Neither ever talked overly much, but the quiet was usually comfortable. This was strained by a kind of watchful waiting; an unfinished conversation hovering around the both of them, lingering until one of the pair acknowledged its presence.

            “Leo,” Nobody began, feeling his years heavily, “do you remember what we were talking about last night before the truck appeared?”

            Leonardo glanced at him, and then back to the street. Years of ninjitsu had taught him to hear nuances in people’s voices. The one in Nobody’s voice caused a knot of cold pain to touch his spine.

            “I do,” Leo replied quietly, his appearance and voice giving nothing away.

            “Can I assume it wasn’t just idle curiosity?” Nobody had turned to face his friend.

            Leo fought the urge to cross his arms over his plastron. If he wanted this to progress he couldn’t appear defensive or aloof.

            Instead, Leo also turned and met the gaze behind the mask. “It wasn’t,” he acknowledged.

            Nobody lifted a hand and peeled his mask away from his face. Choosing his words carefully he said, “Do you see the lines on my face, Leonardo?”

            Leo nodded once. “Yes,” he responded in a clipped tone.

            “I’m not a young man,” Nobody explained. His voice caught in his throat and he had to clear it to continue. “Whatever I may think I want, there are other things that have to be considered. Things beyond desire and need.”

            “A distinction in years,” Leo responded thoughtfully. “Tell me this; if two individuals experience the exact same things over different lengths of time what is the difference between them?”

            Nobody smiled. “The years. They matter, Leo. The experiences may be the same, but one individual views those experiences differently because they have mellowed with age.”

            “Because of that someone must suffer a lonely existence?” Leo asked.

            “Which of us is lonely, Leo?” Nobody wanted to understand. “I think I know my place and who I am. I never travel much beyond that for fulfillment. You have a family that cares deeply for you.”

            “And I for them,” Leo admitted. “But I also feel as though I’m outside looking in; a stranger to my brothers. Where they are light, I am shadow. Often I want a stronger bond; a bond with someone with whom I have something in common.”

            “Your brothers sometimes dance inside the light, and the light accepts them,” Nobody observed, his mind fixed on an almost abstract thought. “The Justice Force is the same because their light pushes back against evil. I don’t stand with them when the cameras roll, Leonardo, because that is not who I am. My strength is anonymity, darkness is my friend and ally.” Turning to place a strong hand on Leo’s shoulder, he added, “That is what you and I share. That is our truth. It doesn’t mean we have more than that in common.”

            Leo didn’t want to move as he felt Nobody’s strong grip. He wished for more, acknowledging his need, but he could say nothing. There was another step that had to be taken, something more he needed to do, but he had to gauge the other’s willingness.

            He could only stand still and hope for more than a reassuring hand.


	10. JF10 Desperation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,101  
> Rated: R  
> Summary: Two friends try to deal with a decision. CONTENT NOTE: Mild TCest pairing=Leo/Don

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Image created for this story by the ultra talented Teratophelia on DeviantArt.  
> 

            Don was awakened by a gentle touch to his cheek. Prying his eyes open, he looked up into Leonardo’s face.

            “Hey. You just get back?” Don asked groggily, sitting up slowly and looking over at the digital clock display on the DVD player. It was almost three in the morning.

            “Mmm.” Leo hummed his affirmative, then asked, “Why are you on the couch?”

            Stretching his arms overhead, Don yawned then answered, “Waiting for you. The news reporters were all over a warehouse fire on the lower east side. That belong to you?”

            Don tried to sound lighthearted, but Leo heard the underlining worry. A tug at his gut was his reminder about how deeply Don cared for him.

            “Nobody and I,” Leo acknowledged and then stopped. It seemed wrong to say that name in front of Donny.

            Don frowned as he heard a slightly off center tone in Leo’s voice.

            “Are you okay, Leo?” Don asked with real concern.

            Leo swallowed and blinked rapidly, unable to say yes to calm Don’s distress.

            “My room, Don?” Leo held out his hand, avoiding the question.

            A moment to study Leo’s face, and then Don accepted the hand. Leo’s fingers tightened as though afraid Don might slip away.

            Grabbing up his bo staff from the floor, Don allowed his brother to pull him to his feet and lead him soundlessly towards Leo’s bedroom.

            Don leaned his bo against the wall as Leo closed the door. Clutching his brothers hand, Leo lead him to the mattress that served as a bed and then remained standing when Donny sat on the edge.

            The genius turtle watched Leo strip the gear from his body with his usual careful precision, the sheathed katanas set on the floor within arm’s reach. Then Leo knelt on the bed next to Don and just as carefully, stripped his brother, removing his purple mask last.

            Cupping Don’s face in both hands, Leonardo gazed deeply into those dark, intelligent eyes.

            “Leo?” Don’s voice quivered just a bit at the almost haunted look in Leo’s amber orbs.

            Leo’s mouth dipped to his, touching lightly. Lifting a hand, Don stroked his brother’s side in gentle caress.

            Closing his eyes, Leo deepened the kiss, pushing for Don to open his mouth, and then slipping his tongue inside when his brother obliged. Leo churred and dropped his hands to Don’s shoulders, urging him back onto his carapace.

            Don felt the desperation coming through their kiss; a kind of yearning need transcribed in Leo’s touch. Something was wrong, something off center in Leo’s universe.

            With this act of intimacy Leo was reaching out to Donny to fix it, to put him right again.

            Donatello prayed that he could.

===============================

            A row of lights over the bathroom mirror cast their strong glow on Nobody’s face as he studied himself. The reflection each night was his reminder that he was still a person, not the nameless being he personified.

            Stripped to the waist, Nobody’s eyes trailed down the mirror. His body was lean, hard muscle without a trace of fat. A nod, and he bent forward to stare at his face again.

            The lines were there, without a doubt. But he thought they were more the lines of worry and stress than those representing age. Running a hand over the trace of stubble that graced his chin, Nobody reached for the shaving gel and razor.

            A few quick practiced swipes, a handful of warm water to rinse, and Nobody once more gazed at his own face. Without the beginnings of a beard he looked younger, and that thought stripped away a few worry lines. Nobody smiled.

            The smile quickly faded to a frown. What he was doing was rationalizing away a decision he’d already made.

            Tapping his tongue against the roof of his mouth in a sound of disgust, Nobody told himself to snap out of it. He tossed his towel over the curtain rod and strode out of the bathroom and over to his bed.

            Stripping completely, Nobody sprawled atop his mattress, tucking one hand beneath his head, the other palm down on his stomach. Closing his eyes, he told himself to sleep, but of course his mind mutinied, as it was want to do these days.

            It wanted to think about Leonardo, and it seemed that no amount of discipline could dissuade it. His mind’s eye conjured up the image of his friend, standing close to him, staring at his unmasked face.

            Though Leo did a wonderful job of maintaining an impassive countenance, the look of longing was in those amber eyes for Nobody to read. He had gripped Leo’s shoulder to steady his friend, to lend him support without offering anything more.

            The feel of Leo’s hard muscle beneath his palm was an electric jolt to his system that was unexpected. Somehow he managed to hide the effect that touch had on him.

            Deep in thought, Nobody didn’t notice when his hand began to rub slow circles over his belly. He was too busy acknowledging to himself how often his eyes would seek Leo’s body when they were working together.

            Solid, corded muscle from head to foot. Large, talented hands and intense determination driving a matched set of weapons with unequaled skill.

            Thick legs bunching with power as he leaped from roof to roof without thought of the drop below. Leo’s thighs . . . .

            Nobody’s eyes clenched tightly as he tried to block the vision and force some discipline on himself. It didn’t work, Nobody could only see those fascinating thighs, and follow the same trail upward that his eyes had made on more than one occasion.

            Leo bending over, hands flat on a rooftop ledge as he peered at the street below. Nobody’s cursory glance initially one of mere curiosity. Look down and then away.

            Look back again. Leonardo never noticed how Nobody’s gaze would travel over his tail and then to the round, firm buttocks that showed beneath the Turtle’s carapace.

            Would never know how the burn in Nobody’s gut one night had caused the silent avenger to surf the internet to learn about turtle physiology.

            Leo would never know how Nobody imagined what would happen if the turtle became aroused.

            With a start, Nobody realized his hand was drifting lower, pressing harder against his abdomen. Snapping his hand away with a strangled cry, Nobody threw his legs over the edge of the bed and sat up.

            He passed a shaking palm over his face and blew out a lungful of frustration. It was time to take a long, very cold shower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Image created for this story by the very talented Teratophelia on DeviantArt.  
> 


	11. JF11 Catch A Glimpse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,383  
> Rated: R  
> Summary: Conversation and illumination (the kind that casts a shadow).

            Nano came down to breakfast at the same time every morning. True, he did not consume breakfast, but he enjoyed the comradeship of his fellow Justice Force members as they broke their fast with this morning ritual.

            There was actually only one thing the nanobots enjoyed, even needed, to consume and only one creature on earth who could provide that thing.

            Unfortunately, he had not seen his Mikey in five days.

            “Pretty quiet there, Nano. Something you’re trying to process?” Silver Sentry asked over his shoulder as he reached into the cabinet for his favorite cereal.

            Nano thought about telling him. They were alone in the kitchen, and even though he had promised Mikey that their intimacy would remain a secret, he needed advice from someone who understood relationships.

            Silver Sentry was the only one of them who had a serious, committed relationship. With a woman.

            Nano had called Mikey several times over the course of the week, but his friend had explained that he was unable to leave the lair. Mikey had sounded the same, although a bit rushed, and Nano had accepted the letdown.

            But Nano had a tendency to watch day time dramas, and he was learning a few things about human interaction that worried and puzzled him. True, Michelangelo was not human, but this was his culture and he was a being of flesh and blood.

            Usually in those shows when one person avoided another, it was because they didn’t want to be with them anymore.

            When his pickpocket surrogate father and cold hearted doctor mother didn’t want him, he had been angry. Had felt anger; emotion not something the good doctor had planned on giving him, but then she didn’t really understand what she’d done when she created him.

            Now Nano was feeling a new emotion and it made his collective sluggish and somewhat non-responsive.

            “Nano?” Silver Sentry sat down next to him and leaned closer, concern and worry on his face.

            His promise to his boyfriend won out. “No Silver Sentry. I am curious, though, why you consume so much sugar? Is that not bad for the human body?”

            “It’s because he burns it off.” Raptarr drifted into the kitchen. Their Avian friend was back from a four week trip to his floating city.

            He pulled the carton of eggs from the refrigerator and moved over to the stove.

            “If you’re scrambling, I’ll take some,” a soft feminine voice called from the doorway. Chrysalis had returned from India and she stepped lightly over to join Raptarr near the stove.

            “Can I help?” Chrysalis asked, standing close to him.

            Raptarr stepped back a pace, pretending to be searching for a spice in the rack. “No, I’ve got it covered,” he told her.

            Nano watched them curiously. He could tell by her body language that Chrysalis was attracted to her fellow winged cohort. He could also tell that Raptarr was either not interested or simply uncomfortable with the concept.

            “So Nano,” Raptarr began as he cracked eggs into a bowl, “what have you been doing while we’ve all been gone?”

            The nanobot was a very honest being, but he had learned that avoiding a topic was not a lie.

            “I have been consuming many hours of television in my desire to fully understand humans,” Nano answered truthfully.

            Silver Sentry swallowed a mouthful of cereal. “He’s been hanging out with Michelangelo, too. Seems Mikey can provide more answers than the television.”

            Nano shifted his gaze to observe their leader. He was unaware that Silver Sentry knew how much time he had been spending with Mikey.

            “Oh really? You, um, see any of his brothers?” Raptarr asked in a voice meant to convey idle curiosity.

            Nano’s head snapped around, his technology attuned to voice and pitch had caught something different in that question.

            Raptarr’s cheeks carried just the slightest flush.

            A sudden intense desire to know what had gotten the usually stoic Avian so stimulated made Nano forget his own problem for a moment.

            “I do not get to see them as much. Leonardo has joined Nobody on some of his missions. Raphael continues to patrol with Casey Jones in an attempt to break apart the Purple Dragons. Donatello accompanied Mikey and I to a junkyard once in order to find parts for a computer he was building.” Nano watched Raptarr closely as he ran through his spiel, purposely announcing each brother individually.

            There was no reaction until he mentioned Donatello’s name. Raptarr’s shoulders tensed for just a moment, then relaxed again as he poured egg into a warmed skillet.

            “Don’s still busy inventing new things I guess,” Raptarr said and looked at Nano hopefully.

            Nano’s mouth lifted in a smile. “Donatello is a genius. Unfortunately, his brothers do not show much appreciation for his ideas. It would be nice if he had a friend who would be willing to listen to him.”

            The Avian moved eggs inside the skillet. Chrysalis was still standing nearby, her eyes raptly attentive to Raptarr’s face. She was apparently oblivious to Raptarr’s body language.

            “Maybe I should drop by and say hello to them soon. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen my Turtle friends,” Raptarr said in a carefully measured tone.

            “I would be happy to accompany you when you decide to go,” Nano replied, quite pleased with himself. Now he would get to see his Mikey.

            And he would have the added pleasure of watching Raptarr interact with Donatello.

*****************************************

            Morning practice over, the Turtle brothers headed for the showers before breakfast. Just before they exited the dojo, Raph grabbed Don’s arm and pulled him aside.

            “Ya’ spend any time with Leo lately, Don?” Raph didn’t beat around the bush.

            Don’s mind went quickly to a couple of nights ago. “What exactly do you mean by ‘spend time’?” he asked.

            Raph snorted. “Have ya’ fucked Leo lately?”

            Don stared at the red banded turtle. “Are you and Leo having problems again, Raph?” That would certainly explain Leo’s strange behavior during their last intimacy.

            “Don, would ya’ just answer my damn question?” Raph growled.

            Throwing his hands up, Don replied, “Yes, Raphael. Leo and I made love the other night.”

            Raph laughed. “Prissy. I don’t suppose you’ve pulled your head out of your shell enough to notice something’s going on with both Mikey and Leo?”

            Frowning, Don said, “Well, yes I have. Leo seems more withdrawn, if that’s even possible. And Mikey hasn’t been bothering me for sex as much as he used to. At first it was sort of a blessing not having an experiment interrupted by a pouncing Mikey. But, yes, I was beginning to worry about it.”

            “Me too, so I jumped him the other night. Gotta say, he’s still just as hot when ya’ get him going as he’s ever been. He claims he’s just distracted by this latest Justice Force kick, but I kinda been wondering if he wasn’t sneaking off ta meet somebody.”

            Don remembered the sawdust on Mikey’s Turtle Titan costume. “You mean sneaking off as in an assignation?”

            Raph rolled his eyes. “For fuck’s sake, Don. If that means he’s secretly fucking someone behind our backs, then yeah, that’s exactly what I’m driving at.”

            “Suppose he was?” Don asked quietly. “Would it bother you?”

            Raph started to pace, a clear sign of building agitation. “Yeah, you’re damn straight it would. What the fuck’s wrong with us keeping things the way they are? Ain’t ya’ satisfied with what the four of us got?”

            Don shrugged. “I never thought of it like that. I love you guys and I love what we do. But if one of us got a chance for a real relationship in a truer sense of the word, how could I honestly not feel happy for them?”

            Raph froze and stared at his brother. “So if Mikey and Leo both move on ta other people, you’d be okay with that?”

            “Are you afraid of being alone, Raphael?” Don inquired gently.

            Raph’s shoulders dropped just a bit. The look on his face, never as stoic as the others due to his overwhelming passions, was of complete and abject misery.

            Moving forward, Don placed his hands on Raph’s biceps and stepped close to him.

            “Don’t worry, Raph. You’ll always have me,” Don said firmly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Image created for this story by the very talented Teratophelia on DeviantArt.  
> 


	12. JF12 Useless Denial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 973  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: A winged friend has decided to stop fighting his attraction to a certain purple banded ninja.

            Their guests had arrived unexpectedly. Fortunately, everyone was at home and greeted Nano and Raptarr warmly.

            However, the startled look on Mikey’s face, coupled with how he quickly spirited Nano away from his brothers gave Donatello pause. His mind went into overdrive, reviewing past mischief and misdemeanor’s accredited to his orange banded brother and this particular behavior fit very well that pattern.

            This could easily explain how Mikey had been acting lately, as noted by both Raph and himself. Mikey had probably a) done something he absolutely shouldn’t have, b) done it in the presence of Nano, and c) was hard pressed to keep the honest nanobot from spilling the secret.

            With a sigh, Don tried to decide the best way to discover said secret and fix the damage before anyone else found out.

            “Have you done any more work on perfecting the flying abilities of your tech pack, Donatello?” Raptarr interrupted his thoughts.

            Don snapped back to the present and realized with embarrassment that he was being an ungracious host. Raptarr had exchanged greetings with his father and brothers, and was now standing next to him, looking at him in a friendly fashion.

            “A little,” Don answered honestly. “I’m having some difficulty with the aerodynamics. They work well as far as getting us where we need to be; but I’m not comfortable with their performance.”

            Raptarr nodded, his handsome face open and interested. “Perhaps I could be of some assistance? I have been flying my entire life you know.”

            His touch of humor made Don smile. “That’d be great. They’re on my workbench in the garage if you want to take a look now.”

            “I’d be delighted.” Raptarr followed Don to the elevator.

            While they were ascending, Raptarr studied his Turtle friend out of the corner of his eye. He was just as fascinating to look upon as he had been the last time Raptarr had a chance to interact with him.

            Raptarr’s hands clenched at his sides; strong feelings threatening to overcome his normal reticence. The attraction to Donatello seemed to have appeared out of nowhere about four months ago, and he had been fighting it ever since.

            The trip to the Avian city was mainly to get his mind off of the Turtle. Raptarr had rather hoped to meet someone of his own kind with whom he could form a bond, but to his dismay, neither gender of Avian appealed to him.

            As they left the elevator and crossed the garage, Raptarr wondered if coming to the lair was such a great plan after all. He didn’t know what he’d do if he managed to work up the courage to say something to Don only to find out that Don was completely disinterested in him.

            Don pulled the canvas covering off the tech packs and lifted his for Raptarr to inspect.

            After a few moments, the Avian said, “The workmanship is superior, Donatello. I know your power source keeps you airborne, but I wonder at the maneuverability of the straight linear design. As you may have noticed, my wings are formed on a curvature.”

            “I see,” Don replied thoughtfully. His hand began to rub at his chin as he stared at Raptarr’s wings.

            A little thrill went up Raptarr’s back as Donatello studied him. Raptarr remained completely motionless when Don stepped closer, raising up slightly to look at the taller Avian.

            “Do you mind if I . . .?” Don stretched out a hand and Raptarr’s guts clenched in anticipation.

            Outwardly calm, Raptarr said, “Please, be my guest.”

            Stretching out his wings for Donatello, he held still as Don touched the top contour of feathers and stroked along the line from Raptarr’s back to wing tip. His eyes were half shut in concentration and he worked to hold back a shudder. Don had no way of knowing how much feeling there was in an Avian’s wings; and he had no way of knowing that the stroking of feathers was part of an Avian mating ritual.

            Some sound must have slipped loose though, because Don stopped and turned to look at him.

            Raptarr’s face was slightly flushed and Don remembered with complete chagrin that the stalwart Avian was quite shy and reserved.

            “I’m sorry Raptarr,” Don rushed to apologize. “I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”

            “No, no my friend. It is quite all right. I am unused to such a delicate touch. Please forgive me for startling you. I would be happy for you to continue if you would like to,” Raptarr hurriedly told him, afraid Don would pull away.

            “Ahem.” A clearing of throat caught them both off guard and they looked up to see Master Splinter a few feet away.

            “Master Splinter, Raptarr has kindly offered to help me with my flying tech pack design,” Don announced happily.

            His father looked from one to the other and nodded once. “I am delighted for you my son. However, since Raptarr has come for a visit with the family, perhaps you two could save this for another time? Your brothers are quite anxious for news of the Avian city and any adventures our friend might have had in the last few weeks.”

            “My apologies Master Splinter,” Raptarr said with alacrity. “This is entirely my doing, I was so interested in Donatello’s work. Please, let us rejoin the rest of your family. Perhaps Don will invite me for another day and we can work on this project together.”

            “Anytime,” Don replied enthusiastically. “Come whenever you’d like.”

            They moved back to the elevator together and descended to the lair. Once inside, Raptarr and Don went to join the other Turtles and Nano.

            Master Splinter stood looking after them with some misgivings. His eyes were narrowed in deep thought as he observed Raptarr’s interaction with his sons.

            Particularly with Donatello.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Image created for this story by the incredible Teratophelia on DeviantArt.  
> 


	13. JF13 Temptation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,166  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Injuries often lead to confessions. Are they also good for the soul?

            “I’m fine Nobody,” Leo insisted, even as his friend half dragged him across the rooftop.

            “Dammit Leo, stop fighting me,” Nobody hissed through clenched teeth.

            Blood continued to flow down Leo’s leg. There hadn’t been time to assess the damage or staunch the flow of blood after Leonardo had been shot. There hadn’t been time to much more than throw an arm around the Turtle, launch his grappling hook overhead and get them both the hell out of that ambush.

            Leo took a bullet for him. Nobody was frantic with worry, his brain threatening to shut down rather than deal with the thought. That gun was aimed at Nobody; that bullet meant to put him down and out of the mob’s hair.

            Leonardo saw the gun come up. Pointed at Nobody’s unprotected back and at fairly close range, the conclusion was foregone. In one motion, thought and action merged as Leo threw a shuriken at the gunman’s hand, and launched himself straight at Nobody.

            Nobody turned when he saw Leo flying at him and the corner of his eye caught the gun in the thugs hand. Everything seemed to slow down after that; the shuriken knocked the hand off center and down, with a loud cry of pain the man pulled the trigger, and Leo gasped sharply just before tackling Nobody to the ground.

            Leo rolled away from him and leaped to his feet immediately after impact, but then one leg buckled and he dropped to his knee. That’s when Nobody saw the blood. After that he didn’t care about a damn thing except getting Leo to safety.

            “Sit down. Down Leo, over here,” Nobody urged, his low voice cracking with anxiety.

            Leaning down, he lowered Leo to a seated position, and reached up to remove the arm draped across his neck. Leo’s grimace was quickly erased, his unwillingness to show weakness swelling Nobody’s chest with pride.

            On his knees next to the Turtle, Nobody gingerly stretched the wounded leg out and rolled it enough to get a good look at the injury. Dropping a hand to his belt, Nobody extracted a penlight and shined it on his friend.

            A long, messy trench was gouged out of Leo’s inner thigh, just above the knee.

            Nobody reached up and yanked his mask off, impatiently flinging it aside. His belt held a miniature first aid kit, and from that he drew out some gauze and a small bottle of antiseptic cleanser. He poured the cleanser carefully over the wound, and Leo jerked slightly at the sting, then relaxed again even as Nobody glanced up at him.

            “Sorry, this stuff stings,” Nobody commented lamely.

            “Thanks for telling me after the fact,” Leo replied with his dry sense of humor.

            Nobody paused to take a deep breath and to stop his hands from shaking. As gently as he could, he cleaned the wound enough to see the extent of the damage.

            With a sigh of relief, he noted the injury was messy but not deep. No major arteries had been nicked, but the length and position of the wound was going to be a bitch as it healed.

            Setting the gauze across the wound, Nobody closed his eyes tight and swallowed. It could have been so much worse.

            “Nobody,” Leo’s steady voice cut through the buzz in his head. Nobody turned and looked into Leo’s eyes.

            “I’m all right,” Leo told him, his amber eyes strong and unwavering. “Don’t beat yourself up over this.”

            Leonardo, so stoic; injured and worried about _him_. Nobody’s breath caught in his throat. Raising up slowly, he leaned in close and pressed his mouth to Leo’s.

            His friend trembled and Nobody suddenly remembered himself. Jumping to his feet, he stepped back quickly.

            “Oh God, oh damn. Leo. I’m . . . I’m sorry,” Nobody jabbered, running his hands wildly through his short hair. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

            “Mixed signals,” Leo answered with a bitter laugh.

            Nobody stopped pacing to stare down at him. Leo hadn’t moved from his position other than to bring his hands down on the rooftop to better brace himself.

            “Yes.” Nobody sighed heavily. “Here I am lecturing you about maturity and then I go and give in to temptation.”

            Leo’s head jerked up when he said that. “Temptation?”

            Nobody rubbed a hand across his forehead. He really was no good at hiding things from this particular ninja.

            “Come on, we need to get you home.” Nobody grabbed up his mask and pulled it back on.

            Leaning over to pull Leo’s arm across his shoulder and help him to his feet, Nobody was glad he had donned the mask. He had never noticed Leo’s scent before, but now it came to him and the rich musk made his head spin.

            Leo stood without moving. “You didn’t answer my question,” he insisted.

            “Leo,” Nobody began, then bit off the words. “I can’t. Not right now. Let me just get you to the lair so Donatello can work on your leg.”

            Leo tried to pull away. “I can make it on my own, Nobody. If you go with me, my brothers are going to want to know what happened.”

            Nobody held on to him tightly. “My fuck up, I’ll answer to them for it. Don’t make me feel more of an ass than I already do, Leo.”

            With a nod, Leo acquiesced, and Nobody helped him limp towards home.

*********************

            “Holy crap . . . .” Casey breathed out slowly, from his vantage point three rooftops away.

            He and Raph were out looking for Leo. Raph snagged Casey out of his apartment soon after Leo left the lair to meet up with Nobody, telling him that he was fucking tired of all the secret shit going on.

            He meant to follow his older brother and the dark man to see just what kind of crap they were getting into.

            When Raph and Casey lost track of them amidst the sound of gunfire, they’d split up. Casey was the one who saw Nobody help a limping Leo onto the rooftop and being too far away to do much, he tried to call Raph, without getting an answer.

            Now he was wondering just what he’d witnessed.

            The ringing of the shell cell made him jump. “Fuck Raph, why didn’t you answer the damn phone?” Casey demanded.

            “Too busy pounding some skulls,” Raph retorted. “Did ya’ find Leo?”

            “Yeah, and he’s hurt. I just saw Nobody help him down off a roof a few buildings over. Was my guess, I’d say they was headed back ta the lair,” Casey replied.

            “How fucking hurt?” Raph yelled, forcing Casey to pull the phone away from his ear.

            “Well, shit, he’s mobile, so I guess he ain’t that hurt,” Casey snapped.

            “I’m going home. Ya’ wanna meet me there?” Raph asked.

            “Uh, sure,” Casey answered and the call was disconnected.

            Casey paused to think. No way was he telling Raph what he thought he saw. No fucking way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Image created for this story by the very talented Teratophelia on DeviantArt.  
> 


	14. JF14 Backlash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,466  
> Rated: R  
> Summary: How complicated can a relationship become? Add family and stir...  
> ~~In the sequence of events, part of 14 occurs just before 13 and then runs concurrently.

            Nano had been quite pleased with himself.  He had aided a fellow Justice Force member in his quest to see the object of his desire, and at the same time, had managed to see Michelangelo.

            If Mikey could not come to him, he would find ways to go to Mikey.

            Therefore he was perplexed to discover that Mikey was upset at him for arriving at the lair unannounced.  Nano had processed several scenarios and each ended pleasantly for both of them.  In none of them was their secret revealed.

            Nano could not sense emotions, nor was he capable of empathy.  To remedy this shortcoming, he had observed endless hours of human interaction and programmed himself with a rating system in order to gauge emotional responses.

            Anger was one such emotion.  Nano had assigned the number one to “Upset”, number two to “Frustrated” and up a sliding scale to number ten, “Furious”.

            Mikey was definitely at number four, “Perturbed”.

            At the very first opportunity, Mikey had pulled Nano into a quiet corner of the lair and chided him, “Nano, you’re supposed to call first.”

            “That would have spoiled the surprise for Raptarr,” Nano explained.

            “It doesn’t matter dude.  There’s some stuff going on and you can’t just arrive without giving me a heads up,” Mikey insisted.

            Nano cocked his head and studied his boyfriend.  “If I had called, would you have allowed me to come here?” Nano asked in a tone unlike any Mikey had heard before.

            Mikey straightened up, now fully attentive.  “Um, you okay Nano?”

            “You have been avoiding me,” Nano accused.

            Starting to get worried, Mikey began, “No, I . . . .”  Looking up he saw Don and Raptarr entering the elevator, and his other two brothers talking in a low tone. 

            Not wanting to be overheard, Mikey took Nano’s arm and pulled him into the dojo.  Facing the nanobot, Mikey decided to be truthful.

            “Nano, you know how I feel about you, right?” Mikey demanded.

            “Are you breaking up with me, Mikey?” Nano asked softly, his face melting into the saddest look Mikey had ever seen.

            Mikey was startled.  “No!  Damn, Nano, what the shell gave you that idea?”

            “Robert avoided Candace for two weeks and then they met for coffee and he told her that she knew how he felt about her but that they could not be together,” Nano spilled out.

            Mikey wanted to laugh, but Nano was so obviously distraught, he bit it back.  His arms lifted skyward, then dropped back to his sides as he let out a puff of air.

            “Geez, dude, you gotta stop watching those soap operas.  Look, I sorta got a little problem here with my bro’s.  They just aren’t real understanding about the idea of me having a boyfriend, especially Raph.  I gotta go slow,” Mikey explained.

            “Perhaps we should have a family gathering so we may define our relationship for them,” Nano offered helpfully.

            “No,” Mikey said quickly.  “No really, thanks for the offer, but this is something I gotta do ‘cause I know them.  Okay, Nano?”

            Nano was smiling again.  “Of course, Michelangelo.  You know what is best.”

            Those were words Mikey definitely didn’t hear much.  With a thought at how very cute his nanobot boyfriend was, Mikey glanced around and leaned in to give Nano a quick, but firm kiss.

            “We’d better go join the others,” Mikey told him.

            Nano followed Mikey happily.  The visitors spent a lively hour with the Turtles, but as the hour grew late, Raptarr and Nano prepared to leave.

            Just as they were bidding their friends goodbye, a phone call took Leo aside.

            A few minutes later he returned and said, “I’ve got to meet Nobody topside.  I can walk with you guys for a ways.”

            Mikey piped up, “I’ll go too.  I’ve been cooped up in the lair all day.”

            Raph looked at them both suspiciously, crossed his arms over his plastron and said nothing.

            The group split up once they left the sewers, Leo disappearing into the shadows, and Raptarr rising into the skies.  Nano and Mikey looked at one another.  They were finally alone.

            Nano took a step towards him, but Mikey shook his head.

            “Not in an alley.  Let’s find someplace where we won’t be interrupted,” Mikey said, his voice dropping an octave and desire coloring the edges.

            Unwilling to go much further, Mikey sprinted for a nearby parking garage, Nano hot on his heels.  The energetic pair ran the ramps until they were under the last overhang before it opened to the sky.

            A little breathlessly, Mikey fell into the waiting Nano’s arms and their mouths locked together.

            Mikey started to churr when he felt Nano’s hands glide down his plastron, over his belt and down between his thighs.

            “I have been without your heat for more than a week, Mikey.”  Nano pulled away from the kiss.  “It is time to share with me.”

            “O . . . okay.”  Mikey was fast becoming brainless, his slit having been invaded by a host of nanobots who were toying with the head of his cock.

            Panting, he locked his lips over Nano’s once more, ready to drop down into Nano’s hand.

            “I would have expected our hint to give you pause for thought, Michelangelo.”

            The one voice he’d known for his entire life poured ice water over Mikey’s burgeoning erection.  Jerking away from Nano, Mikey spun to face his father.

            “Oh, uh . . . hey, Master Splinter.  I uh, uh, Nano and I were just, um . . . .” Mikey stuttered hopelessly, then a word stuck in his head.  “ _Our_ hint, sensei?”

            “Yes.”  The second voice came from above them.

            Looking up, Mikey watched Silver Sentry glide slowly out of the night sky and land next to his father.

            “Hey, SS!”  Mikey strove to sound normal.  “What are you two doing here?”

            “We were concerned about this relationship my son.  It is time for us to have a talk,” Master Splinter informed him.

            Nano spoke up, “How long have you known that Mikey and I are special friends?”

            Silver Sentry smiled at the nanobot.  “Quite a while now, Nano.  I saw the two of you in the empty penthouse as I was flying by.  I felt it was something that needed to be shared with Michelangelo’s father.”

            “I had Silver Sentry bring me your wrist guard my son.  When I placed it on your bed, I had hoped you would reconsider this affair,” Master Splinter told Mikey.

            Mikey frowned.  “I don’t understand, sensei.  We aren’t hurting anyone and we care about each other.”

            Silver Sentry shook his head.  “Mikey, Nano may be sentient, but he is still young and there are too many things he doesn’t know.  This relationship is premature.”

            “I love Mikey.  He is family,” Nano said simply.  Reaching over, he took Mikey’s hand and Mikey returned his grip.

            “I think he understands enough,” Mikey proclaimed.

            Master Splinter looked at his son from beneath bushy eyebrows, his tail tapping the ground lightly.  “You are also young, Michelangelo.  Have you forgotten the promise you made to your brothers and to me?  How does this affair effect the decision the four of you made two years ago?”

            “We never promised to be exclusive,” Mikey countered, upset at his father’s disapproval.

            “That should not have been required,” Master Splinter shot back.  “The agreement was unspoken, but still there.  If you wished to change the nature of that agreement, you should have discussed it first with your siblings.”

            Mikey felt the blood run out of his face.  “You’re not gonna tell my bro’s are you sensei?”

            Master Splinter said gently, “No Michelangelo.  I will not tell your brothers.”

            Light dawned on Mikey at the look on his father’s face.  With growing horror, he said, “You’re gonna make me do it aren’t you?”

            Mikey’s shell cell started to ring shrilly, cutting off further argument.  Snapping it open impatiently, Mikey answered, “What?”

            Raph’s voice was loud and rough over the receiver.  _“Get your ass home, Mikey. Leo’s hurt.”_

            Mikey looked up at Master Splinter.  His father stepped forward as Mikey asked, “How bad?  What happened?”

            _“Play twenty questions later. Just get the fuck back home now,”_ Raph growled, hanging up on Mikey.

            “Come Michelangelo, we will continue this discussion at another time.”  Master Splinter turned to Silver Sentry.  “I apologize for rushing away.”

            Silver Sentry shook his head.  “Worry about Leonardo now, Master Splinter.  This other can wait.”

            With a brisk nod, Master Splinter and Michelangelo hurried away.

            Nano moved as if to follow Mikey, but Silver Sentry stepped in front of him.

            “Not now Nano.  Let him go.  Their situation at home is a family affair.”

            Nano wanted to explain that he _was_ family.  He just wasn’t sure anyone else understood that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Image created for this story by the multi-talented Teratophelia on DeviantArt.  
> 


	15. JF15 Matter of Honor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 2,168  
> Rated: R  
> Summary: A certain friendship leads to bad blood. Can a wounded leader bring about unity?

            “Are ya’ tryin’ ta get my brother killed?”

            “ _Raph_ , _no_!” Leo shouted in his leader’s voice, grimacing as Don inspected his wound.

            Raphael’s fists were tight, one drawn back as he pushed his face into Nobody’s.  Don looked up as Leo twisted towards the altercation.

            “Not in here,” Don ordered in the tone of voice that brooked no argument.

            His mouth set in a grim line, Don waited for Raph to back down before renewing his work on Leo’s injury.  It was nasty, and large enough to be troublesome, but it wasn’t life threatening.  At least, not if Don could get it cleaned, closed, bandaged and somehow get some antibiotics into Leo.

            The wound was an avulsion, and normally, bandaging would have sufficed.  But because this injury was to an area where skin moved and pulled, Don knew he was going to have to stitch Leo’s leg.

            Reading the look on his brother’s face, Leo asked, “Stitches, Don?”

            Don nodded, his face still strained.  “Yep.  Sorry, Leo.”

            The idea of stitches didn’t bother Leo, he’d had plenty of those.  It was the forced inactivity afterwards that he hated.

            Raph was still fuming.  “I’m waitin’ ta hear what the fuck happened,” he growled in a menacing voice.

            “We were ambushed,” Leo answered, trying to pull Raph’s attention off Nobody.

            Don jerked upright.  “You walked into an ambush?” he asked, surprised.  Leo had been almost killed by one of those before, and had grown an almost sixth sense about them.

            “I did,” Nobody interjected, so there was no misunderstanding.  “I called Leo to meet me because I had a lead on a new gang running guns.  My informant wasn’t as trustworthy as I thought he was.”

            “So Leo got this saving you?” Don asked in a clipped tone.  Leo watched Don’s face darken as he stared at Nobody.

            Leonardo knew which of the two brother’s was more dangerous to his friendship with Nobody.  Raph would let his anger out, confront Nobody openly and give Leo a chance to smooth things over.

            But Donatello was not that easy to placate.  If Don became antagonistic to Nobody, the ripple effect would be devastating to his blooming relationship with the dark man.

            “He’s saved my butt a few times too, Don,” Leo quickly reminded him.

            Don was far from appeased by that argument, but he would worry about how he felt later.  Right now he needed to concentrate on stitching his brother.

            “What has happened?”  Master Splinter strode into the room.

            Nobody and Raph moved aside as he made his way to Leo.  Mikey was behind him and stopped next to Raph, exchanging looks with the hot head.

            “I’m fine, Master Splinter,” Leo assured him.  “Don is just going to stitch my leg.  There’s nothing to worry about.”

            “Yeah, other than he got himself shot,” Raph rumbled in a low, dangerous way.

            “How did this occur?” Master Splinter demanded.

            “It is my fault Master Splinter,” Nobody said.  His usual raspy voice was made harsher by worry.  “Leonardo was aiding me in attempting to get some illegal arms off the streets and we were ambushed.  I was operating on faulty information and acted in undue haste.  Leo saved my life and was shot in the process.”

            Master Splinter closed his eyes and stood completely still for a few moments.  The only sounds in the infirmary were those made by Donatello as he gathered the medical supplies needed to sew up Leo’s leg.

            With a sigh, Master Splinter touched a hand to Leo’s arm, then turned to face the Justice Force vigilante.

            “Thank you for bringing my son home, and for your honesty Nobody.  I trust this incident will instill in both of you the need for more caution next time, before you decide to act,” Master Splinter said.

            Raph’s mouth dropped, then he croaked, “What?  He almost got Leo killed sensei.  There ain’t gonna be a next time.”

            “Gangs aren’t going to stop spilling guns into the streets, Raph,” Leo told his brother.  “It’s our business as much as Nobody’s.  We can’t just sit here and do nothing.”

            Raph glared at Nobody, then stomped over next to Leo and turned his glare on his brother. 

            “Pulling guns off the streets is a job for the police.  The _regular_ police.”  Raph’s jibe was ugly and Leo saw the spasm run over Nobody’s unmasked face as it struck home.

            “Hun and the Purple Dragons are also police business, Raphael.  But you and Casey have made wiping them out your life mission,” Leo shot at him.  “How many times have the two of you wandered home injured from a confrontation?  I seem to recall you’ve been shot at least twice.”

            “That ain’t the same and ya’ fuckin’ know it,” Raph bit out.

            “Why?”  Leo hissed as Don pulled the first stitch through his skin.  “Why isn’t it the same?  Because you think you’re more invincible than the rest of us?”

            “No!” Raph shouted, then tossed a look over his shoulder at Nobody.  It was an old argument, and a touchy one.  He didn’t want to bring it out in front of the human, no matter how close Nobody was to their family.

            “Because you think you’re less valuable than the rest of us?” Leo asked, pushing his point.

            Raph snarled, “Shut up, just shut the fuck up, Leo.  This ain’t the time.”

            “Where the fuck is everybody?” Casey shouted from inside the lair.

            Mikey darted to the door and stuck his head out.  “We’re in here Casey.”

            Raph and Leo were scowling at each other when Casey walked into the infirmary.  Casey observed the scene, noted that Nobody was in the room, and leaned back against the wall, well out of the way.

            “He okay?” Casey asked Mikey, who stood near the door as well.

            “Yeah,” Mikey answered.  “If they don’t start fighting.”

            Casey felt a thrill run up his spine.  “What are they fightin’ about?”

            Mikey shrugged.  “The usual.  One of them gets hurt, the other doesn’t like it, blah blah.”

            “Oh.”  Casey settled back again, determined to stay out of it.  If he’d actually seen what he thought he saw, that was between Leo, Nobody and the brothers.  Not him.

            “Do you guys think you can continue this argument another time?” Don asked through gritted teeth.  “I need for Leo to be still.”

            Leo pulled his eyes away from Raph so he could watch Donny.  His sure, steady hands were making fast work of the stitching job, but his face was stretched with anxiety.

            “Don, I’m sorry,” Leo said softly.

            Don glanced up, caught Leo’s eye and nodded stiffly before returning to his job as family doctor.

            “Perhaps your family is correct Leonardo,” Nobody said.  “It’s wrong of me to place you into such dangerous situations.”

            Leo’s heart skipped a beat and he sucked in a quick breath.  Don’s hands paused as he looked up.

            “Am I hurting you?” he asked, concerned.

            “No, no.  Keep going.  Just a pinch,” Leo fibbed, disguising his worry.

            Master Splinter’s eyes narrowed.  Leo rarely lied; when he did he was quite good at it.  Not good enough to fool his father.

            Leo sat up a little and looked around Raph so that Nobody could see his face.  “The other alternative is you’ll start trying to put down this gang by yourself again.  The Purple Dragons, the Turks, the Dark Knights, even the Foot use guns these people supply.  Guns they use to hunt for us.  It is our business and it is our job.”  He looked up at Raph, who was still rigid with anger.  “It is our duty, Raph.”

            “It is a matter of honor,”  Master Splinter broke in.  They all looked at him.  “Leonardo has made a commitment to assist Nobody and it is inherent upon us to honor that commitment.”

            “I won’t hold your family to that, Master Splinter,” Nobody proclaimed.

            “If Leonardo feels that this is our duty, Nobody, then the family will remain involved,” Master Splinter said with finality.

            “Fine,” Raph growled.  “Just fucking great.  Only ya’ two ain’t doin’ this shit alone anymore, got that?”

            “Language, Raphael,” Master Splinter admonished.

            “Leo isn’t doing it at all for a while,” Don broke in, completing his bandaging job.  The stitches were done, the wound clean and covered.  “That wound needs time to close properly and jumping around will pull the stitches loose.”

            His pronouncement was matter of fact and not open to argument.  Don pulled a bottle of injectable antibiotic from his small refrigerator and set about filling a syringe.

            “’S good then,” Raph stated with smug satisfaction.

            “You’ll have to help him Raph,” Leo told his brother as Don tapped the inside of one elbow to locate a vein.

            Raph’s head jerked around to Nobody, then back to Leo.  “Uh, uh.  No fu…no way.  Let him go back to rescuing kittens from trees.  Me and Case can handle getting the guns off the streets without his help.”

            “Where will you start?” Nobody asked.  He didn’t want to argue with Leo’s brother, but Raph’s attitude was growing tiresome.  “You may know a lot about the Purple Dragons, but these people are a world removed.  This is a global operation, and you and your friend Jones are not equipped to deal with that.”

            Raph’s blood started boiling again.  Leaving Leo’s side he whipped around to confront Nobody.

            “If you’re so damn smart, how come my brother got shot?  Ya’ can take your global and stick it . . . .”

            “Raphael!” Master Splinter snapped.

            Raph bit off the rest of his comment and glowered at Nobody.

            “Can you rest, Leo, or do I need to give you something to knock you out?” Don asked, more of a command than an offer.

            “Let me get this settled first,” Leo replied.  “Raph.”

            His hot headed brother continued to face Nobody, shoulders tense and hands on the grips of his sais.

            “ _Raphael_.”  Changing to his leader voice, Leo called for his attention.

            Raph spun back around, clearly seething.

            “Why don’t he go with Raptarr?” Raph barked.  “He can damn well get his own people shot.”

            “That’s objectionable, Raph,” Don flared suddenly, surprising everyone.  “Raptarr has his own business to deal with and there’s no need to pull him into this discussion.”

            “Marvelous,” Raph hissed, “Fucking marvelous.”

            Master Splinter chose not to correct him for the curse word this time, recognizing the verbal expletives were an outlet for his repressed frustration.

            Instead he told Raph, “Donatello is correct.  There is no need to pull anyone else into this matter.  We will handle it ourselves.”

            “Raph,” Leo called again, directing his brother’s eyes to look at him.  “Please Raph.  I know you’re angry, but this is important.  What happened tonight was an accident and the bottom line is that I’m okay.”

            Raph’s chest was heaving, his emotions warming the air around him.  “Leo . . . .” he began in a deep, husky groan.

            “I’m okay,” Leo repeated, his voice dropping as well.

            Raph moved back to him, his arms hanging loosely at his sides.  When he reached Leo, he lifted his hand slightly, letting his fingertips brush the back of Leo’s hand, trying to hide the gesture with his body.

            Nobody saw it despite Raph’s efforts.  Then he watched as Don bent over and gently nuzzled into Leonardo’s neck.

            “You need to get some sleep,” Don murmured, his face close to his brother’s.

            “I will.”  Leo gazed into Don’s brown eyes and gave him a small smile.  Don’s lip quivered slightly as he tried to return the smile.

            Turning back to Raph, Leo said, “Tell me you’ll watch Nobody’s back, Raph.  I need to know he’s not alone out there.  I need to know he’s with someone I trust.”

            Raph ran a hand over his face and sniffed loudly.  “Fine.  Me and Case’ll go with him when he’s hunting.”

            “Yo’!  Thanks for askin’ buddy,” Casey called from his position against the wall.

            Raph ignored him.  “That make ya’ happy, Leo?”

            Leo gave him an understated smile as well.  “Yes.  Thank you.”

            Taking a deep breath, Raph turned his head and told Nobody, “Just don’t expect me ta jump in front of any bullets for ya’.”

            “You have my gratitude as well, Raphael,” Nobody told him.

            Raph growled something under his breath as Mikey strolled over to join his brothers gathered around Leo. 

            Leaning over, he inspected the bandaged leg.  “Nice place for a scar.  Guess you aren’t gonna be bottoming for a while.”

            “Mikey!” Leo yelped.

            Raph snorted and Don covered his mouth with a hand, trying to cut off the laugh.

            Master Splinter turned quickly to Nobody and touched his elbow.  “Perhaps it would be best to leave now.  Leonardo needs to rest.”

            He gathered Casey as well, and lead the men from the infirmary.  When he turned to close the door, Nobody glanced back and saw the three brother’s leaning over Leo.

            That’s when Nobody began to wonder just exactly how close they all were.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Image created for this story by the very talented Teratophelia on DeviantArt.  
> 


	16. JF16 Killing Me Softly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,278  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Some words are not kind, but then sometimes, truth hurts.

            Leonardo was not a good patient.

            Don heaved a heavy sigh after forcing his brother to lie still for the seventh time that morning.  Even Raph was better at following the doctor’s order to not move when he was injured; at least he could be sidetracked with an illegal feed from a pay-per-view boxing match.

            Mikey was the least problematic.  Don worried sometimes that Mikey got injured on purpose so he could sit in front of the television and have his brother’s (mainly Don) bring him things.

            But Leonardo was the worst.  He could easily spend two hours in deep, unmoving meditation, but the idea of being bed ridden for more than fifteen minutes seemed to bite at something inside of him.

            “Why don’t I bring you a book, Leo?  Do you want me to get your copy of “The Art of War” out of your room?” Don asked.

            Leo shifted on the cot.  “I’d be more comfortable in my own room, Don.  Can’t I just move in there?”

            “No.”  Don palmed his face.  “Leo, maybe tomorrow.  I need you in the infirmary so you’re close to the medical supplies in case I need them.  Twenty-four hours at least, okay?  I have to monitor for infection.”

            Leo shifted again.  He could think of at least five things he’d rather be doing right now, and none of them involved lying around.

            “Where’s Raph?” Leo asked, eyes following Don around the room.

            Don looked over at him and saw the worried look on his face.

            “He’s in the dojo.  Mikey’s spotting him on the weight bench.”  Turning completely around to face his brother he added, “He’s not going out in broad daylight if that’s what’s worrying you.”

            Leo reached down and gingerly touched the bandage.  The gesture brought Don from across the room and to his side immediately.

            “I’m okay,” Leo assured him.  “I just want to change position without pulling anything loose.”

            Don helped him move, holding his leg to avoid tearing the stitches.  With that accomplished, Don went back to his small desk and the notes he was logging into his laptop.

            “Leo, why was Raph following you last night?” Don asked after a few minutes.

            Leo looked over at him, startled.  “He was following me?”

            Don nodded.  “He didn’t say so, but I deduced it from things he did say and the way he and Casey were acting.  Have you been taking chances to the point where Raph feels the need to play guardian angel?”

            “No.”  Leo frowned and started running his mind over Raph’s behavior.  Leo’s interest in Nobody had made him somewhat inattentive to his brother’s, and Raphael being the most openly passionate of the siblings, was bound to notice.

            He shook his head at his own stupidity and saw Don staring at him.

            “I ask,” Don continued as though Leo hadn’t answered, “because you seemed rather protective of Nobody last night.”

            Leo was saved from having to respond to that by the arrival of visitors.

            Silver Sentry, Raptarr, and Tsunami were led into the infirmary by Master Splinter.

            “Leonardo, Nobody informed us of your mishap last night.  We came to see how you were doing, and to thank you for saving his life,” Silver Sentry said.

            “No thanks are necessary.  He has done as much for me on occasion,” Leo responded.

            The sea spirit Tsunami spoke up in a jaunty manner, “Nobody seemed to think you did quite a huge thing.  He was rather enthusiastic in his description.”

            “We are just glad you weren’t badly injured Leo,” Raptarr told him. 

            Don came over to join them and Raptarr turned to watch him as he approached.  The easy way Donatello moved always seemed to attract his eye.

            “My son is healing nicely, thanks in large part to Nobody’s quick action and Donatello’s medical mastery,” Master Splinter explained with no small amount of pride.

            Don ducked his head and blushed as much as someone with green skin could.  Raptarr thought it was the most amazing thing he’d ever seen.

            “Since I am here, I would be happy to continue assisting you with your work on the flying tech packs, Donatello.  That is, if you have the time,” Raptarr offered hastily.

            Master Splinter looked from one to the other and spoke quickly, “It is all right, Donatello.  I will stay with Leonardo if you wish to work on your invention with Raptarr.”

            Don’s face lit up.  “I’d like that.  Thanks sensei.  Call me if you need anything.”

            As he and Raptarr stepped out of the infirmary, the blue skinned sea spirit joined them.

            “Is your overzealous brother Raphael at home this morning?” Tsunami asked with quirky good nature.

            Don smiled, knowing Tsunami’s penchant for annoying the easily riled Raphael.

            “He’s in the dojo with Mikey.  Try to keep it down to a dull roar,” Don told him.

            Tsunami tossed him a salute and sauntered in that direction.  Still smiling, Don led Raptarr to the elevator and they rode up to the garage.

            “Something is amusing you?” Raptarr asked as the doors opened and they stepped out.

            Don glanced at him.  “I sometimes wonder if Tsunami has a thing for Raph, considering how he goes out of his way to goad my brother.”

            “Ah,” Raptarr responded.  “Rather a harsh way to relay affection, isn’t it?”

            Don shrugged, leaned over to grab his rolled up diagrams and said, “For some people that’s the only way they know.  Raph is sort of like that.  Really gruff to hide how strongly he feels.”

            Raptarr watched Don’s hands as he unfurled the tech pack diagrams, noting the strength in his agile fingers.  When he bent to grab a handful of metal bolts to hold down the edges of the paper, Raptarr allowed his eyes to roam over his friends tail and rear.

            Raptarr’s head snapped up when Don turned back towards him, guilty pleasure bringing a slight flush to his cheeks.

            “Are you okay, Raptarr?  Is it too warm in here?” Don asked with concern.

            “Maybe just a bit,” Raptarr stated somewhat truthfully.  He was feeling warm, but that really had nothing to do with the temperature of the garage.

            “Hang on a second.”  Don walked over and flicked a switch to turn on an overhead fan.

            “That is better.  Thank you Don,” Raptarr said.  “May I ask you something?”

            “Sure, you can ask me anything,” Don told him.

            “If someone was interested in one of your brothers, what would be their best course of action?”  Raptarr felt his heart thumping ridiculously fast, but he hoped this roundabout question would give him a starting point for letting Donatello know how he felt.

            Don stopped what he was doing and stared thoughtfully at Raptarr.  He was obviously thinking about something other than the tech packs, and Don was beginning to understand.

            “Did Tsunami come with you and Silver Sentry because he wanted to see Raph?” Don queried.

            Raptarr blinked.  “No . . . I . . . well, I don’t know.  I wasn’t asking because . . . .”

            Don interrupted, “It’s okay, Raptarr.  I think it’s really nice of you to try to help your friend like that.  Something you need to understand about us Turtles is that we’re kind of . . . devoted to each other.  Raph is probably not going to be too open to a relationship.  Maybe you should just let Tsunami find that out for himself.”

            Raptarr nodded, feeling his heart drop into his gut.  Watching Don return to his diagrams, his eyes clouded over slightly.

            If devoted to each other meant what he thought it did, then Donatello was forever lost to him.


	17. JF17 Crack The Quip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,196  
> Rated: R  
> Summary: Sparks fly when these two are in a room together, but for different reasons.

            “Greetings to you, my Turtle friends.”  Tsunami stepped confidently into the dojo, a slight swagger in his walk.

            Mikey looked up from his position behind the weight bar and grinned.  Raph was seated on the bench drying his hands with a towel and barely glanced up.

            “Well, well.  If it ain’t the walking water pipe.  What are ya’ doing in the sewers Tsunami, got a job cleaning the tunnels?” Raph quipped.

            “Ah, Raphael.  I came to thank your brother for allowing Nobody to survive to fight another day, and the need to enjoy your quick wit and excellent repartee just suddenly came over me,” Tsunami responded with a cheeky grin.

            “Yeah.  I can see I really do it for ya’,” Raph shot back, returning to his prone position under the weight bar.

            “And how are you, Michelangelo?” Tsunami asked.

            Mikey chuckled.  “Better and better, Tsunami.  When did you get back from Japan?”

            “Night before last.  There seems to be more excitement here than anywhere else in the world however.  I shall have to stay and see what else unfolds,” Tsunami answered.

            Grunting, Raph replaced the weights on the rack and sat up.  “Don’t hang around on our account.  Ain’t you got somebodies car ta wash or something?”

            “Your need to keep me busy is touching, Raphael.  I understand that because Leonardo is laid up, Nobody is going to be enjoying your company on his nightly romps.  I rather thought babysitting was somewhat outside of his line of work,” Tsunami said.

            Raph cracked his knuckles suggestively.  “Go figure, ya’ trying ta understand something.  Must be a first.”

            Tsunami chuckled.  “I see you are in rare good humor today.  Is that due to the anticipation of hunting with someone from the Justice Force rather than your usual sidekick Jones?  I can only imagine the thrill you must be feeling to step into the big leagues.”

            “Get over yourself,” Raph snorted and lay back again.  Grasping the bar, he lifted it from the rack and started his next set of reps.

            Tsunami strolled closer, watching the veins pop on Raphael’s arms as he lowered and lifted the heavy weights.  Sweat was streaming off his emerald green skin in rivulets, and Tsunami was tempted to command the moisture to leap and dance for him.

            His deepest fantasy was to watch it leap and dance around the both of them; he and Raphael, tied together in an intimacy that tore through the Turtle’s barriers and allowed Tsunami access to every part of him.

            “Ya’ still here?” Raph asked sarcastically as he reseated the weights with Mikey’s help.

            Tsunami shook his head slightly to snap himself out of his daydream.  It would have to remain just that, an unfulfilled vision, because Raphael was totally, completely, stubbornly devoted to his brothers.

            Assuming a cocky attitude, Tsunami flung back, “How could I think of wandering very far from your scintillating company?”

            “Whatever,” Raph said and resumed with the weights.

            Mikey had started to say something several times and then stopped himself.  The show was too enjoyable to interrupt.  Every time Tsunami got near Raph, miniature sparks flew.

            The blue skinned mutant was the only one Mikey knew who could push Raph to the edge and stop without shoving him completely over.  Raph never lost his temper when Tsunami baited him; the banter was too good natured and just cutting enough to keep the hot head on his toes.

            Why Tsunami played that game, Mikey didn’t know, maybe he was just challenging himself.  His devil-may-care persona was wildly divergent to the rest of the sober, serious Justice Force.

            Of course, there was another explanation.

            Mikey didn’t entertain it very seriously though, because he was afraid his own love affair with Nano was coloring his perceptions of everything else around him.

            “Tell me, Michelangelo,” Tsunami asked.  “Is your brother’s conversation always so refreshing?”

            “Ya’ want refreshing?”  Raph sat up and grabbed his towel.  “Go fuck yourself.”

            Tsunami quirked an eyebrow.  “Your command of the English language is astonishing as well.  Is this how you plan to relay information to Nobody this evening?”

            Raph eyed him belligerently.  “I got an idea.  You’re so bored, why don’t ya’ go with Nobody tonight instead of me?  That way ya’ can have the excitement of getting your ass shot off.”

            “If that’s what you were planning on doing Raphael, you should tell Nobody.  I believe he was actually planning on sending you home in one piece,” Tsunami replied.

            “Yeah, we all know how fucking great his plans are,” Raph growled.

            The sound of that low tone vibrated pleasantly in Tsunami’s head.  He watched as Raph stood up  and stretched, huge and powerful, muscles rippling under his skin.  Raph resumed with his towel, vigorously rubbing the moisture from his skin.

            “Maybe you’d like me to hose you off.”  Tsunami sauntered closer, wagging an eyebrow suggestively.

            Mikey chuckled, sure now that Tsunami was baiting his brother.

            “Keep it in your pants, blue balls,” Raph retorted, tossing the towel in a perfect arc into a basket in the corner.

            “It’s really quite bad for you to bottle up your feelings, Raph.  Go ahead and say what you really think.”  Tsunami grinned.

            “Okay, I will.”  Raph stepped closer, puffing his chest and getting in Tsunami’s face.  “Ya’ Justice Force guys all got a swelled head.  Ya’ wanna go out and pose as pin cushions, I’m all for it.  Just leave my family out of it.”

            “You’re beautiful when you’re angry,” Tsunami announced irreverently, his sideways grin refusing to take Raph seriously.

            Raph pressed a hand to the blue man’s chest and shoved.  He was a little surprised to find the maneuver barely moved Tsunami.

            The touch thrilled Tsunami to his core.  “You’ll have to do better than that, Raph.”  Tsunami’s eyes twinkled, hoping the red banded turtle would try.

            Mikey watched Raph’s shoulders tense and he jumped between them. 

            “Guys, I don’t think a fight right now would be very good for Leo.  He’ll jump out of bed to find out what’s going on and probably tear his stitches and that’ll piss off Donatello and Master Splinter and Silver Sentry and then there’ll be hell to pay.”  Mikey kept talking until the wild gleam faded from Raph’s eyes.

            “Fine,” his brother huffed.  “I ain’t got time for this shit anyway.  I’m gonna take a nap before I gotta go out and play nurse maid to your compadre.”

            Tsunami resumed his cavalier manner, as though nothing had occurred.  “Try not to dream about me.”

            “After the nightmare of looking at your ugly mug for the last half hour?  Ain’t likely.  Don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out,” Raph tossed back over his shoulder as he left the dojo.

            Mikey trailed along behind him, glancing back at Tsunami once.  The blue man merely smiled at him and Mikey shrugged and left the room.

            Outwardly nonchalant, Tsunami’s insides were churning.  He had never wanted anyone as badly as he wanted Raphael.

            Somehow, someway he would have to figure out how to pull that magnificent creature away from the ties to his brothers.

            Tsunami was used to getting what he wanted.


	18. JF18 Rendezvous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,740  
> Rated: NC-17  
> Summary: It's hard to stop a determined Mikey. What happens when he starts to second guess himself?

            Michelangelo was _not_ happy that his brother Leonardo had been shot.  He was not happy that his brother Raphael was now serving as surrogate backup to Nobody until Leo recovered from a nasty bullet wound. 

            Especially considering how antagonistic Raph was towards the masked vigilante since the incident that had left Leo disabled.

            Neither was he pleased at how hard his brother Donatello had to work to keep Leo quiet while his injury healed, or how worried Master Splinter was over the entire situation.

            Mikey was, however, very opportunistic.  Leo’s drama had interrupted their sensei and Silver Sentry just as they busted Mikey and Nano in a compromising position.  Master Splinter and SS were not enthusiastic about the Turtle-slash-Nanobot relationship and Mikey had been practically holding his breath waiting for his father to forbid its continuation.

            The phone call about Leo had put a halt to that confrontation, and the continuing saga with his older brother seemed to have taken his father’s mind off Mikey altogether.

            That meant that no one had said Mikey couldn’t see Nano and no one had said Mikey had to tell anyone about his affair.

            Well, just because they had _started_ to tell him to confess didn’t mean they had actually done so.

            Therefore, opportunistic.

            It had been almost a week and a half since he and Nano’s last sexual encounter and Mikey felt like he was going to explode.  One good round of rough Raph sex didn’t erase Mikey’s need for Nano, and he would just bet Nano was missing him as well.

            Nano had said as much in the parking garage before they were so rudely interrupted.  He said he missed Mikey’s heat.

            Mikey wasn’t sure what that meant; probably it was an endearment of some sort culled from the hours of television Nano absorbed.

            It didn’t really matter.  The fact remained that Mikey needed Nano in the worst way and it was the perfect time to do something about that.

            Leo, Don and Master Splinter were in the infirmary and Raph was with Casey and probably Nobody as well.  No one cared at the moment to check on Mikey’s whereabouts and a distracted family was his cue to sneak out of the lair, which was exactly what he did.       

            Mikey cruised through the sewer tunnels at top speed on his hoverboard to be sure no one could follow him.  There was a little area of central park that was his favorite; accessible through a drainage shaft, it was a clearing surrounded by almost impenetrable vegetation.

            Cautiously peeking his head out into the night air, Mikey was relieved to see nothing had changed.  With a big sigh, he popped out of the tunnel and pulled out his shell cell.

            “Michelangelo!”  Nano sounded surprised and pleased all at once.

            “Nano,” Mikey purred, happy to hear his friend’s voice.  “Can you meet me?”

            “I am unsure Mikey.  Silver Sentry is not here, but he was not pleased at our last encounter.”  Nano’s voice shifted to one of misery.

            “Did he say you couldn’t see me?” Mikey asked.

            “No,” Nano admitted at bit more light heartedly.

            “That means you can,” Mikey told him, unworried by semantics.

            Nano excitedly asked, “Where shall we meet?”

            Mikey told him how to locate the little clearing and hung up.  Seating himself on the grass to wait, Mikey looked up into the night sky.  The darkness of the park pushed back some of the big city lights, and Mikey could see a beautiful display of stars overhead.

            Lying back on his carapace, Mikey rested his head on his hands and watched the show in the night sky.  All the little twinkling lights reminded him of nanobots, each busily going about it’s business as part of a collective whole.

            The thought made him hot.

            “Hello Mikey.”  His friends’ voice broke into his reverie.  Nano stood over him for a moment, and then he dropped onto the grass next to his boyfriend and duplicated Mikey’s position.

            “Nano.”  Mikey let out a happy sigh.  He felt Nano press lightly against his side and smiled contentedly.

            “What is it you are observing with such intensity?” Nano asked him.

            “Just the stars.  They remind me of you,” Mikey told him.

            Nano looked above him and contemplated the skies.

            “Yes, I believe I understand your metaphor,” Nano responded finally.

            Mikey chuckled.  “Sometimes you sound like Donny.”  With a long exhalation of breath, he added, “I missed you.”

            “And I you,” Nano replied.  After a moment, he asked, “Mikey, do you believe that I am too young to understand our relationship?”

            Mikey turned his head to look at Nano.  The nanobot was still watching the stars and Mikey could swear he saw a touch of sadness on Nano’s face.  Maybe he was just emulating an emotion he had seen, but he would still have to know _when_ to do it.  That made the emotion real as far as Mikey was concerned.

            “No,” Mikey returned emphatically.  “I think my father and Silver Sentry are being overprotective because we happen to be the youngest in our groups.”

            “But they want to do what is best for us, do they not?” Nano wanted to know, turning his head so he could meet Mikey’s eyes.

            “Sure they do.”  Mikey nodded his agreement.  “Nano, sometimes when people don’t know how to fit a situation into something they can relate to, they get confused about it.  You’re the only one of your kind, and there are only four like me.  Master Splinter and SS are having a hard time wrapping their heads around our relationship, and that’s totally their problem, not ours.”

            “I do not want to displease them,” Nano fretted.

            “Nano, they never said we couldn’t be together.  They just said they wanted us to think about what we’re doing.  I’ve been thinking really hard about us, just like they asked.  And I think we love each other.  That’s too real to be wrong.”

            Nano’s face broke into a huge smile at Mikey’s words and the nanobot suddenly swarmed over Mikey’s prone body.  His mouth covered Mikey’s, tongue delving deep inside his lovers warm mouth.  Nanobots swarmed over the Turtle’s tongue and sent a shiver down Mikey’s back.

            Thousands of tiny nanobots pulsed and crawled across Mikey’s skin, caressing every square inch of his form.  When a small army invaded the slit housing Mikey’s cock, he spread his legs wide and began to churr.

            The swarm climbed all over Mikey’s hardening member.  With a deep groan, Mikey dropped down and was instantly squeezed and stroked to a full, throbbing erection.

            Mikey’s eyes shut as he felt another group of nanobots pulling his tail and tickling the edges of his tight, puckered hole.  He rocked back slightly on his carapace as he felt the collective push inside of him, the tingling sensation in his ass making his cock jump and his body quiver.

            His hands came up and pushed frantically at Nano’s shoulders, breaking the kiss.

            Panting, he moaned, “Breathe, I gotta . . . breathe.  Nano,  oh SHELL!”

            The nanobots streamed into his ass faster, filling and stretching him, constantly moving, pressing and rubbing at the walls of his rectum.  They went deep, and moved fast, a tidal wave of motion rolling over itself. 

            Mikey gasped as they reached his prostate and began to spin against it, sending jolts into Mikey’s system that felt like tiny electrical shocks of pure pleasure, each traveling straight to his cock.

            Nano’s mouth found his again and this time Mikey returned the kiss feverishly, his tongue battling Nano’s for control.  The orange banded turtle grabbed Nano’s shoulders and pulled him closer even as his legs crossed over Nano’s back and clamped down.

            Hips working, Mikey thrust into the tight pocket of nanobots surrounding his thick shaft.  Precome leaked from the tip and was ingested greedily by the swarm, the frenzy on the head of his cock making Mikey dizzy.

            Working his mouth free once more, Mikey turned his head to the side, chest heaving as he gulped in air.  Nano’s mouth moved to his neck, nipping at his pulse point and making the ninja’s head roll back in ecstasy.

            A strong current of pressure began to build in Mikey’s groin, growing with intensity as Nano started to pump his cock faster, stroking the underside in a rhythmic flow.

            “Ah, ah AH!  Na~no!  AHH, Unngh!” Mikey shouted with pleasure as his climax hit, hot come spraying out in a strong blast to coat thousands of nanobots.

            “Mikey!” Nano shouted in return, the collective glorying in the heat of Mikey’s seed as the come electrified Nano’s system.

            Nano’s body stiffened and froze momentarily as he struggled to process this new and amazing phenomenon.  Mikey groaned and shook under him, tiny microbursts of his orgasm still coursing through his body.

            Mikey’s hard breathing refocused the collective and Nano gathered his parts back into his humanoid form.  Sliding off Mikey, Nano rolled onto his side and placed an arm protectively over his lovers chest, watching as Mikey slowly regained control.

            “Nano.”  Mikey finally managed, his voice conveying complete surprise.  “Dude!  You had an orgasm!”

            “Is that what I felt?” Nano questioned.  “It was…wonderful.  Is it this way for you each time?”

            “Absolutely.”  Mikey rolled to face Nano, flinging an arm over his side.  “I’m glad I was your first Nano.”

            “You will always be my first, Mikey.  I have no desire or need to be with anyone but you,”  the nanobot proclaimed simply.

            “I . . . .”  Mikey stopped himself and swallowed, quickly changing what he’d been about to say.  “I love you Nano.”

            Nano didn’t notice the small hesitation, or the slight change of tone.  “I love you, Mikey.”

            Mikey rolled back onto his carapace and Nano shifted with him, melding into Mikey’s side as the Turtle returned to contemplating the stars.

            Nano was obviously content to have Mikey as his one and only lover exclusively.  The joy of that promise almost caused Mikey to make the mistake of swearing his fidelity to Nano as well.

            He couldn’t do it.  Not yet, maybe not ever.  As much as Mikey didn’t want to dwell on Master Splinter’s words, the point he’d been trying to make still stuck in Mike’s craw.

            He and his brothers did have an agreement about their relationship to each other.  They were brothers and they were more than brothers.

            The agreement didn’t include anyone else.          

 


	19. JF19 Heartbeat Of Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,946  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Some moments cannot be counted by the turn of a clocks hands. Things take a turn for the worse.

            A low moan pulled Don’s head up off his arms and his tired body out of the chair he’d fallen asleep in.  Crossing the small infirmary quickly, he looked down into his brother’s face.

            Leo was flushed, his eyes glazed and his skin moist to the touch.  Don checked his pulse and was distressed to find it had slowed.  Leo was breathing very fast, one hand pressed to his gut.

            “Leo, does your stomach hurt?” Don asked, worried but trying not to show it.

            “Uh, yeah, a bit,” Leo said, and then a spasm crossed his face.  “Sorry, can’t seem to catch my breath.”  He struggled with the words, panting after those few.

            Don grabbed his thermometer and stuck it under Leo’s tongue.  Although his skin appeared feverish, the temperature reading was not much off normal.

            “Leo, does it hurt anywhere else?” Don queried.

            “Dream,” Leo responded, rolling his head to the side.

            Don placed a hand on his forehead and turned Leo’s face back towards him.

            “What, Leo?” Don asked.

            “No, I was flying.”  Leo smiled a bit.  “Clouds and Nobody.  Funny.”

            Don frowned.  “Leo.  Leo, hey, focus bro’.  Do you hurt anywhere else?”

            Leo coughed.  “Donny, my head hurts.  ‘M kinda tired though.  Maybe just need a nap.”

            His head lolled to the side again and his eyes slid shut.  Don dashed to the door and called, “Master Splinter!”

            He turned back and went to stand beside his brother as their father came into the room.

            “Something is wrong Donatello?” Master Splinter asked, seeing the look on Don’s face.

            “It’s Leo,” Don told him.  “I was worried earlier because his breathing was off so I kept him in here to watch him.  It’s gotten worse and there are other things wrong now.”

            “An infection?” his father asked.  Infection was something they worried about with every wound.  Cleaning, disinfecting and the antibiotics they took were in large measure preventative devices.  They had no way of knowing if the antibiotics would be enough should a real infection set in, because everything they had was developed for humans, not mutants.

            “I don’t think so.”  Don moved quickly to his computer and began to type.  “He isn’t running a fever.  This looks more like some type of poisoning.”

            Master Splinter’s head jerked up.  “How?”

            Don bit his lip while he stared at the computer screen.  “Since he hasn’t ingested anything the rest of us haven’t also consumed, I’d hazard a guess and say it has something to do with his injury.”

            Leo groaned and shifted.  “Don’t go alone.  I don’t trust . . . no, don’t pull away,” he murmured, then relaxed again.

            Don stared at him.  “I have to know what he was poisoned with.  He must not have gotten a large dose or he would have shown symptoms much sooner.  Maybe when Nobody cleaned the wound it washed out most of the poison before it could be completely absorbed.  I need that bullet.”

            “You believe the bullet was poisoned?” Master Splinter inquired.

            His mouth set in a grim line, Don answered, “Yes, that’s my working hypothesis.  It’s the only logical possibility.”

            “Your brother Raphael is supposed to be meeting Nobody now.  I will call him and ask that they change whatever plans they made so they can search for the bullet that struck Leonardo,” their father said.

            “Thank you, sensei.”  Don took a deep breath.  “I’m going to do some research on his symptoms.  Maybe I can identify the poison that way.  I also need to look up some antidotes.”

            “Very well.  Let me locate Michelangelo.  If you need supplies, he will be standing by to get them for you.”  Master Splinter hastily left the room.

            Don moved back over to Leo and took his hand.  With a sigh, Leo’s eyes partly opened and looked with unfocused tenderness at his brother.

            “Age doesn’t matter,” Leo said distinctly.

            Don squeezed his hand.  “What?”

            “I don’t care how old you are,” Leo responded.

            It was apparent Leo was not talking to him, but was continuing some other conversation, probably with Nobody.  Don started to walk away, not wanting his brother to tell him secrets while in a confused mental state.

            Leo held his hand tightly, refusing to relinquish his hold.  “I know how you feel.  Your kiss tells me everything.”

            Don’s breath caught and held.  Leaning over he asked softly, “Who am I?”

            Leo’s mouth turned up slightly as he answered in a quick exhalation of air, “Nobody.”

=================================

            Nobody watched the lights flicker on in the small shack at the edge of the construction site he was staking out.  A security company patrolled this spot every few hours; there was no guard assigned to the location and no reason for anyone to be there at eleven at night.

            Unless there were things hidden in the middle of the large supply deliveries and they needed to be retrieved when no one else was around.

            The giant metal skeleton of the incomplete sky rise overlooking the shack was the perfect hiding spot to observe the comings and goings below.  Nobody’s black outfit blended into the shadows of thick girders and he was quite invisible.

            While he watched, he thought about the dilemma in his personal life.  He had chosen to remain alone and without attachments after his wife divorced him because he needed to focus on trying to right some serious wrongs in the justice system.  Nobody didn’t have time for a relationship, nor had he any desire to attempt to forge one.  He was done with that part of his life.

            Meeting Leonardo was his undoing.  From their first initial encounter, Nobody found himself drawn to the mutated turtle.  Something about his quiet dignity, his confidence and his sense of justice stirred Nobody’s soul.

            Holding back his feelings for his friend through rigorous mental discipline worked well, right up to when Leo expressed a return interest.  Telling himself that Leo was too young, too inexperienced, too fragile became a mantra each time they were together and it held his urges in check.

            Every bit of that mask fell away when Leo took a bullet for him.  The raw desire he’d been holding back slipped out for one intense moment and in that heartbeat of time he had kissed Leonardo.

            Angry with himself for losing control and disgusted that he had taken advantage of Leo, Nobody had refused to explain his actions to his friend.  Through it all, Leo had remained indomitable, even insisting that Nobody take his brother Raph with him on this current quest in order to ensure Nobody’s safety.

            Considering the new facts in evidence, it was a truly unselfish gesture.

            Nobody changed position somewhat, easing his legs so they wouldn’t stiffen.  Leaving the infirmary so that Leo could rest, he had seen Leo and his brothers interact in a setting very different from the one he was used to seeing all of them in.

            Being observant was his strongest skill.  Nobody was now sure Leo and his brothers were involved in a physical relationship.  A sexual, physical relationship.

            “Damn,” Nobody said out loud, followed by a sigh.

            “Ya’ thinking about hunting alone?”  A deep voice from behind him startled the dark vigilante.

            Raph was leaning against a girder, one sai balanced on the tip of a finger.  His cocky posture told Nobody he had been there for several minutes.

            A reminder that Raph was also a ninja; just as silent and deadly as his brother.

            “Yes,” Nobody answered truthfully.  “How did you find me?”

            Raphael flipped the sai over and stuck it in his belt.  “Ya’ wasn’t where ya’ said ta meet ya’, so I backtracked your ass.  Ya’ think ya’ and Leo can run all over my city and I won’t know where ya’ been?  This was the third place I looked.  Casey is checking out a couple other spots.”

            “Resourceful.  I don’t suppose it would do any good to ask you to leave this to me?” Nobody requested.

            “None,” Raph responded, pushing himself upright.  “I made a promise ta’ Leo that I’d watch your back.  No matter how much I dislike ya’, I’m gonna keep that promise.  Get used to it.”

            “I remember a time when we all worked together just fine.  Do you even know why you dislike me so much, Raphael?”  Nobody wanted to know.

            “Yeah, you’re getting reckless.  Last time ‘we all’ worked together, some street punks almost took me and Leo out with heavy artillery ya’ didn’t even know they had.  Now ya’ go and get him shot in an ambush.  Why he fucking goes out with ya’ I’ll never know; and I sure as shell don’t know why he lets ya’ plan this shit.  He’s a major league control freak, but his plans don’t involve us collecting bullets with our bodies,” Raph snarled at him.

            “Nothing more?” Nobody asked softly.

            Raph eyed him suspiciously.  “What the fuck does that mean?  What more do ya’ need?”

            Before Nobody could reply, Raph’s shell cell rang.

            “Yeah,” Raph answered quickly.  Raph glanced up at Nobody and said, “He’s right here with me . . . .  What the shell do ya’ mean poison?  . . . .  Okay, okay, I’m on it.  Just tell Don ta hang on.”

            Raph closed the cell phone and snapped at Nobody, “Where’s the alley ya’ two got ambushed in?”

            Nobody stepped towards him, reading the change in his demeanor.  “What’s wrong?  What poison?”

            “Fucking bullet.  Don thinks it was poisoned ‘cause Leo’s sick.  He needs the damn bullet so get your ass in gear and let’s go find the fucking thing,” Raph growled harshly.

            Nobody was moving before he finished the sentence.  Raph called Casey and told him where to meet them, knowing an extra pair of eyes would speed the search by what could turn out to be very important minutes.

=================================

            Master Splinter stepped back into the infirmary and saw the stricken look on Don’s face.  Misinterpreting the meaning, he moved to stand next to Leo, who appeared to be sleeping somewhat peacefully.

            “I reached Raphael.  He and Nobody are on their way to locate the bullet,” Master Splinter told Don.  Receiving a terse nod, he continued, “I am unable to locate Michelangelo.  He is not in the lair and does not answer his cell phone.”

            Their father paused, a line of tightly held anger crossing his brow.

            Don replied brusquely, “I’m still looking up antidotes.”

            “If you discover there is something you need before one of your brother’s returns, I will go for it,” Master Splinter informed him.

            “Father?” Don asked.

            Master Splinter tapped his cane lightly on the floor and a small smile relaxed his face for a moment.  “I have not forgotten how to obtain necessary supplies, Donatello.  Granted, it has been a while since I had to forage for four little ones, but the skills are still within these old bones.”

            “Of course,” Don acknowledged quickly.

            His father looked at him curiously.  “I understand you are anxious, my son.  Is something else bothering you?”

            Don’s face knotted up for just a moment before he got himself under control.  “Just my usual fear of losing a brother,” he managed to say.

            “We must have confidence that it will not come to that,” Master Splinter told him.

            Don nodded, the double meaning of his words lost on his father.  He continued his research on poisons and antidotes, but only part of his mind was on his task, the other on things Leo had uttered in his delirious state.

            Don was finding out something new about himself.  Like maybe he wasn’t as open minded as he thought he was.


	20. JF20 Never Give Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,749  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: If something you want is worth fighting for, then you should.

            Raptarr liked his title of “guardian angel” of the city of New York.  It gave him a good feeling to know he was doing something people needed and respected; and it also gave him a purpose.

            At the moment though, perched atop a tall building looking out over the city, he was feeling far from happy.

            Shoulders down, feet dangling over the edge, he stared morosely at his hands.  They were large, strong and knew the impact of flesh from many fights.  Raptarr flexed his fingers and then rolled them tightly into a fist.

            The one thing they would never know would be the feeling of softly caressing olive green skin.  Unfortunately, that was all he seemed to be able to think about.

            “Is this what you do when you go out to patrol the city?”  A soft feminine voice brought his head around.

            Chrysalis landed softly on the roof behind him, a smile stretching her attractive face.

            Raptarr started to rise but Chrys patted the air with her hands, urging him to stay seated.

            “May I join you?” she asked.

            Though he wasn’t in the mood for company, Raptarr was too polite and too much the gentleman to turn her away.  “Of course.”

            She crossed over and took a seat on the ledge quite close to him.  His first instinct was to shift, but he refrained from doing so because that would have looked bad.

            Chrys stared out across the city; following the path Raptarr’s eyes were taking.  After a moment she turned to glance at his face.

            “We haven’t gotten to see each other much since returning to New York,” Chrys began.

            “No, I suppose not,” Raptarr returned.  “All of us seem to have our own priorities.”

            “I guess that’s true.”  Chrys sighed.  She knew Raptarr was a little shy, but she hoped he wasn’t also completely clueless.

            “Are you all right?” Raptarr asked, concerned by the sound of her sigh.  She was a friend and a team mate and though he had troubles of his own, he wasn’t insensitive to the feelings of others.

            “Just lonely I suppose,” Chrysalis replied, giving him an opening.

            He nodded.  “The problem with being different from everyone else.”  Raptarr stopped, a vision of Donatello rising in his mind.

            Chrys saw the shadow cross his face and tried to interpret it.  Finally she asked, “Do you feel it too?”

            Raptarr smiled a bit.  “When I’m here.  Don’t forget, I have an entire city full of my own kind.  I was rather thinking of someone else.”

            Chrys bit her lip.  He should have said “ _I was thinking of you_ ”.  Since he obviously wasn’t, she felt a sudden need to know what was going on in his head.

            Being a forthright person, Chrys simply asked, “Who?”

            “Hmm.”  His thoughts seemed to have drifted, but he blinked as her question was processed and answered without thinking.  “Donatello.  I . . . I mean, all the Turtles.  They can’t even go out in public the way we can.  It would seem a lonely existence, but they always seem . . . happy.”

            He thought he knew why and that made his shoulders sag again.  They had each other and apparently, that was enough.

            A sudden warm rush swept across Chrysalis’ face and she turned away from Raptarr quickly so he wouldn’t notice.  He might be slow on the uptake, but she certainly was not.

            Donatello.  _Damn_.  Chrys realized she shouldn’t feel jealous if Raptarr was into guys, it meant his disinterest wasn’t a personal thing.  But . . . _Turtles_?  _Double damn_.

            Chrysalis wasn’t a member of the Justice Force just because she had special powers; she also liked a good fight, especially if it was something worth fighting for.  In her mind, Raptarr was definitely something worth fighting for.

            As she started to reply to his observation, Raptarr suddenly jerked upright, and then scrambled to his feet.  She did likewise, startled by his abruptness.

            “What is it?”  Chrysalis saw that he was staring into the distance and turned to follow his line of sight.

            Nobody swung into view and then disappeared.  A split second later, a large Turtle shaped bulk appeared, leaping effortlessly from one rooftop to another.

            They were moving fast and Raptarr sensed urgency, even from far off.

            “Something’s wrong.”  Spreading his wings, he leaped from the building to give chase, leaving Chrys to follow or not, as she chose.

            She decided to follow.  If she was going to fight for a man, she needed to understand his world.

=========================

            “Hydrocyanic acid.”  Don looked up from his microscope and prodded the spent bullet with a fingertip.

            He had taken the bullet from Raph and scraped the smashed tip in order to get a sample for testing.  Don’s findings were consistent with Leo’s symptoms but the purple banded turtle was far from ecstatic.

            “Ain’t that just a fancy way of saying cyanide?” Raph asked, his voice trembling momentarily.

            Don skipped over that.  “I need some things and I need them quickly.”

            “Tell us what to get,” Nobody said. 

            He stood next to Leo, watching his friends labored breathing.  Nobody had been fighting the urge to hold his hand since they first walked into the room after recovering the bullet.  Now he didn’t care who saw him or whether it was appropriate, he took Leo’s hand and squeezed it firmly.

            Don was scribbling on a sheet of paper and talking rapidly.  “You’ll have to break into a veterinary clinic, they’ll have these items.  I don’t know the dosage so bring what you can get your hands on.  I need both sodium nitrite and sodium thiosulfate.”

            He tore the paper into three parts and turned to hand them to Raph.  “It would be best if you three split up and hit different clinics.  If one doesn’t have what I need, you won’t have wasted any time.”

            Raph stared into his eyes for a moment, then nodded and replied, “I’m on it.”

            Nobody released Leo’s hand as Raph turned to collect he and Casey.  Apparently neither of the brother’s had seen his tender gesture, but he caught Jones’ eye on the way out of the infirmary.  Raph’s partner had seen it.

            They passed Raptarr as he was coming back to the lair.

            “Did ya’ have any luck finding Mikey?” Raph paused to ask.

            Raptarr shook his head.  “No.  Chrysalis went back to Justice Force headquarters to see if he might be there.  How is your brother?”

            “Check with Don.  We gotta go,” Raph tossed back over his shoulder as he rushed from the lair.

            Raptarr moved quietly past the kitchen, where Master Splinter was brewing tea, and into the infirmary.  Leo appeared to be sleeping, and Don was hunched over his computer, a hand over his eyes.

            The Avian felt a strong surge of compassion for his intelligent friend.  Don never showed his emotions during a crisis; but now that he thought he was alone, he was giving in to his anguish.

            Raptarr stepped closer to him, moving on silent feet so as not to disturb Leo.  Haltingly, he placed a supportive hand on Don’s shoulder.

            Don immediately pulled his hand from his eyes and sat up straight, taking a deep, cleansing breath.  The face he turned up to Raptarr was calmly determined, no hint of his momentary break down apparent other than a slight reddening around his eyes.

            “I sent the guys for an antidote,” Don told Raptarr.  “No Mikey?”

            “Not yet.  Chrysalis is checking in with the other JF members.  We’ll find him.”  Raptarr made his voice sound assured, and left his hand on Don’s shoulder.  “What is wrong with Leo?”

            “Cyanide.  The bullet tip was apparently modified to hold a tiny capsule of the stuff,” Don told him.

            “Why?  Why would someone do such a thing?” Raptarr questioned.

            Don shrugged angrily.  “In the search for better ways to kill I suppose.  In case the bullet doesn’t kill you, the cyanide will.  Thank Sir Robert Christison for this little idea.  Back in 1831 he created a whaling harpoon with vials of liquid cyanide attached so whalers could kill the large mammals faster.”

            “I thought cyanide killed quickly.”  Raptarr was trying to understand.  Don’s pained expression caused him to squeeze his friend’s shoulder.  “I’m sorry, that was insensitive.”

            Don passed a hand over his face.  “No, your question is valid.  My guess is the ampule didn’t break right away because it didn’t strike Leo, it just grazed him.  When the force did finally cause the cylinder to open, only a minute trace spilled onto Leo’s open wound.  Nobody cleaned it out within minutes and that probably saved his life.”

            “The antidote will make him better?” Raptarr asked.

            Don’s hands pressed against the desk top, knuckles whitening slightly.  Raptarr once more squeezed the muscular shoulder beneath his hand, feeling the tension in Don’s body.

            “I h . . . hope so.”  Don paused, swallowed once, and took a deep breath.  “I just don’t know enough about our body chemistry and how we react to poisons.  The antidote is meant for people and animals, not reptiles.”

            “Leo is very strong,” Raptarr assured him.  “And you are very smart.  I am confident he will be fine.  I believe in your ability to cure him.”

            Don looked over at his brother and trembled.  “W . . . what if it d . . . doesn’t w . . . work?  I . . . I don’t k . . . know what to do n . . . next.  I c . . . can’t think . . . .”  His words trailed off as fear took control.

            Raptarr dropped to his knees beside Don’s chair.  Placing a palm to Don’s cheek, he turned his friends head so their eyes could meet.

            “It will work, Donatello.  It will.”  Raptarr spoke with complete confidence, holding Don’s deep brown eyes with his own.

            A single tear trickled down Don’s face and Raptarr brushed it away with his thumb.  The hand on Don’s shoulder moved to his back and pulled Don forward, into Raptarr’s strong embrace.

            Donatello wrapped his arms around the Avian’s waist and held him tightly, burying his face into Raptarr’s neck.

            “Thank you,” Don murmured against the comforting warmth of Raptarr’s skin.

            Raptarr’s heart was racing as Don made no move to pull away from him.  Holding Don more firmly, the Avian closed his eyes, relishing the moment and hoping it would last a while longer.


	21. JF21 Tricky Alliance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 870  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Deception is a ninja's tool, but they by no means corner the market.

          

            Raphael had received a text message to meet Nobody near the alley where he and Leo had been ambushed.  Raph was on time, but there was no sign of the dark vigilante.

            “Nobody?”  Raph called in a low tone.  “Where the fuck are ya’?”

            “He’s probably at Jones’ apartment looking for you.  That’s where I sent him.”  Tsunami stepped out of the shadows, wearing his trademark cockeyed grin.

            “Ya’ goddamn punk,” Raph snarled.

            Tsunami upturned a palm.  “Actually, I’m older than you, so that would make you the punk.”

            “I don’t have time for this shit.  Ya’ got something ta say ta me ya’ can’t come ta the lair and say?” Raph demanded.

            “Yes.”  Tsunami stepped closer, leaning forward as though about to impart a great secret.  “Take a risk.”

            Raph scowled and moved back a pace.  “Are ya’ crazy, is that your problem?” he asked.

            “Alas, if only it were,” Tsunami answered with a brash smile.

            “I’m outta here.”  Raph walked backwards a few steps, keeping his eyes on Tsunami.

            The blue mutant called after him, “I’ve decided to assist you in your search for those lethal bullets.”

            Raph stopped.  “What the shell does that mean?  Me and Nobody got it covered.  Ya’ ain’t likely ta do much more than get under our feet.”

            “Raphael, Raphael,” Tsunami said.  “Tsk, tsk.  I was hunting arms dealers and drug runners in Japan while you were still wearing diapers.  Oh, forgive me.  Do mutant turtles wear diapers?”

            “I take it you’re bored,” Raph observed with a grimace.

            “Whatever gave you that idea?” Tsunami responded cheekily.

            “’Cause ya’ always bug the shit outta me when ya’ ain’t got nothing better ta do,” Raph growled.

            “That’s not exactly my mission in life, Raphael.  But as a side benefit it is enjoyable,”  Tsunami informed him.

            “If ya’ got a point ta this charade, would ya’ get around ta making it already?” Raph insisted.

            Tsunami clasped his hands together and said, “Water.”

            “Water,” Raph repeated, his frown deepening.  “What the fuck do bullets have ta do with water?”

            “Most munitions come into this fair city from the docks.  It’s the same in Japan.  I know the docks here, and the people that work them.  I know the water.  You my friend, know the city.  Together we’d be a formidable team,” Tsunami said.

            “I already got a team and so do ya’,” Raph reminded him.  “Your teammate Nobody knows this city as well as I do.  Like I told ya’ last time I had the displeasure of your company, why the fuck don’t the two of ya’ go off and play together?”

            “Because my honorable friend Nobody plays by the rules and I . . . don’t.”  The sideways grin was back on Tsunami’s face as he imparted this information.

            Raph stared at him as several comments flashed through his head.  Finally he croaked, “Ya’ are crazy.”

            “Get your mind out of the gutter, Raphael.  What in the world did you think I meant by that?  Do you have visions of me drowning someone to get answers?” Tsunami joked.

            “Thank God I don’t have visions of ya’ at all,” Raph snapped.  “Ya’ inviting me along on your personal power trip ‘cause ya’ need an audience?”

            “No, because you need answers.  I’m not the one whose brother was shot and almost killed by a cyanide laced bullet.  Let Nobody deal with the Justice part of our name, the Force part is in there for a reason,” Tsunami shot back.

            “I guess that means ya’,” Raph drawled, easing out of his tense stance.

            Tsunami jerked a thumb towards Raph.  “You should understand my methods better than anyone Raphael.  That’s why I came to you with this proposition.  That and my desire to help get these particular bullets off the streets.  I may be unorthodox, but I’m still one of the good guys.”

            “Yeah.”  Raph eyed him warily.  “Say I take ya’ up on this idea.  What do I do about Nobody?  I’m still supposed ta’ be watching his back.”

            “Your promise to Leonardo.  Touching.”  Tsunami waved a hand,  “Juggle him.  He doesn’t stay out all night.  When the two of you are hunting, I’ll see what I can discover on my own.  We’ll meet after and compare notes.  There should be plenty of night left for the pair of us to do some damage.”

            Raph thought about it for a few minutes and decided it could work.  A few hours with Casey and Nobody, a couple of hours with Tsunami.  All he had to lose was some sleep.

            “Okay, I’m in.  But ya’ fucking do anything I don’t like, your Justice Force pals are gonna have ta’ mop what’s left of ya’ into a bucket,” Raph promised.

            “Your confidence in me is endearing,” Tsunami said with a slight bow.

            “And just ‘cause I’m doing this don’t mean we’re friends.  Ya’ still get on my fucking nerves,” Raph stated grimly.

            “How about pals?” Tsunami offered.  “Colleagues?  Bosom buddies?”

            “Shut up before I kick your ass,” Raph threatened.

            Tsunami laughed.  “If you want my ass that badly, all you need to do is ask.”

            A low growl was his only answer.  Tsunami’s grin got bigger.

            That wasn’t a no.


	22. JF22 Facing Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 2,278  
> Rated: NC-17 TCest Mikey/Don  
> Summary: Mikey is forced to "come out" and works hard to turn things in his favor.

            “Kneel, my son,” Master Splinter commanded in a crisp, no nonsense tone.

            Mikey hadn’t made it more than two steps into the lair when his father’s sharp voice caught him mid-stride.  He found himself summarily ordered into Master Splinter’s room and realized as he entered that he was facing a very angry sensei.

            Sputtering, he began, “Raph st . . . stays out all night all the time, Master Splinter.  I was more careful than he . . . .”

            “Enough!”  Master Splinter cut him off, tapping his cane sharply against the floor.

            Mikey lapsed into an uneasy silence, his head down.  He hoped Nano wasn’t being subjected to the same treatment as he made his way home to Justice Force headquarters.

            “You do not know what has occurred this evening,” Master Splinter began.  “Your brother Leonardo was taken deathly ill and your family has been frantic with worry that he might not survive the night.”

            Mikey’s head jerked up.  “Leo’s dying?  What the shell . . . .”

            Master Splinter stopped him with an outstretched palm.  “He has stabilized, thanks largely to Donatello.  You were needed Michelangelo.  Donatello required medical supplies and you were nowhere to be found, nor did you answer your shell cell.  Account for your whereabouts.”

            “But what happened?  Leo was fine when I left, I don’t . . . .” Mikey began.

            Master Splinter cut him off.  “Account for your whereabouts!”

            The tone was harsh and Mikey bowed his head as he answered.  “I went out to meet Nano.”

            Silence.  Chancing a look from under his eye ridge, Mikey saw Master Splinter’s tail lashing the floor in apparent agitation.  Or maybe fury, they sorta looked the same.

            All that Mikey knew for sure was that he was in serious trouble.

            Twenty minutes later a dazed and subdued Michelangelo slunk out of Master Splinter’s room.  He had been given his marching orders along with what he considered to be very severe punishments for his disappearance.  The only thing that saved his tail was the fact that he hadn’t actually disobeyed his father.

            Don would have called that quibbling.  At the moment, Mikey wasn’t sure how much benefit there was to be gleaned from that.

            The one and only bright spot was that Master Splinter had not forbidden him to see Nano.

            Probably because his brothers would take care of that, Mikey thought morosely.  Master Splinter had ordered him, in no uncertain terms, to tell his brothers of his affair.

            Mikey paused outside of the infirmary to take a deep breath and then he pushed the door  open slowly and stuck his head inside.  Leo’s eyes were closed, his breathing a little irregular, but not labored.  Don was putting away medical supplies, labeling bottles in his own special code.

            Entering quietly, Mikey tiptoed over to peer down at his oldest brother.  Leo’s face was haggard looking; lines of suffering etched on to his too young skin.

            Glancing up, he saw that Don had spotted him.

            “Hey,” Mike said quietly.

            Don’s mouth was set in a grim line.  “Where were you?” he asked harshly, keeping his voice low so as not to wake Leo.

            Mikey left Leo’s side and edged closer to Don.  The conversation wasn’t going to be fun but it didn’t need to be loud.

            “How is he?” Mikey asked.

            Don thought about not answering Mikey’s question, but the look on the youngest turtle’s face changed his mind.

            “Better.  The meds seem to be working.”  Don took a deep breath to calm himself.  “Mikey we needed you – I needed you.  Where were you?”

            “Look Don, I got something I need to tell you; I need to tell all of you, but I guess I gotta start here.  Um, could you like, sit down?  Please?”  Mikey tried for a wan smile.  He figured Don might be less inclined to freak out if he was seated, and it might also give Mikey an extra second if he needed to suddenly duck out of bo staff range.

            Don was too tired and confused to argue the point.  With a sigh, he sank into a chair and looked at Mikey expectantly.

            Mikey decided not to beat around the bush.  “Donny, I sorta have a relationship with Nano.”

            Don blinked and said nothing for a moment.  Mikey could almost see the gears moving in his head.

            When he finally said something, it was, “What do you mean by a relationship?”

            Mikey nervously palmed the handles of his nunchakus.  “He’s my boyfriend,” Mikey blurted.

            Don’s eyes narrowed.  “Mikey, are you trying to tell me you have a sexual relationship with a nanobot?  A machine?”  His voice lifted an octave with incredulity.

            Mikey shook his head.  “Not a machine, Don.  Nano.  He’s a real being just like us and he has feelings just like us.  He loves me,” he added simply.

            “That’s not possible,” Don stated bluntly.

            Mikey felt his ire rise and pushed it down.  “What isn’t possible, Donatello?  That someone could be in love with me?  Or that Nano can feel love?”

            Don’s head tilted as he studied his brother’s reaction, and he said, “I’m talking about a nanobot experiencing genuine emotion, Michelangelo.  Don’t drift off into injured sensibilities, that isn’t the point that needs to be made here.”

            Mikey huffed.  “You just made your point.  You think Nano’s a walking computer.  My point is that he’s not.  Since I’m the one spending time with him, I should know.”

            Don tried to be patient.  “Mikey, are you sure you aren’t just swept away by the euphoria of sex with someone other than . . . than us?  Maybe the excitement of doing something new is clouding your judgment.”

            “Geez Don!”  Mikey slapped a hand over his own mouth and twisted around to make sure he didn’t wake Leo.  In a lower voice, he continued, “Do you honestly think I could fall in love with someone based solely on sex?  Do you have that low an opinion of me?”

            Don skipped over that as he struggled with Mikey’s declaration.  “Did you say you’re in love with Nano?”

            “Yeah,” Mikey admitted, then waited.

            Don rubbed his forehead.  “Mikey, this is wrong on so many levels.  But disregarding that for the moment, did you stop to consider the pledge we made to each other before you started this affair?”

            “We didn’t say anything about being exclusive,” Mikey argued stubbornly.

            “We shouldn’t have to.”  Don was exasperated.  “The whole point was that we were making a commitment to each other to love and hold one another in equal regard.  We agreed that we understood how our incestuous relations could and would change our family dynamic.  We made that agreement because we all said we wanted a physical connection that we couldn’t get elsewhere.”

            “I know.  Young, healthy mutated male turtles in the midst of mating season.  So what happens if we get a chance at something more Donny?  Do we ignore that?  If a woman wanted you, would you say no I can’t ‘cause I’m gonna spend the rest of my life fucking my brothers?”  Mikey argued.

            “Don’t be crude,” Don snapped.

            Mikey laughed softly.  “You haven’t thought about it ‘cause it hasn’t happened to you.”

            “And it isn’t going to,” Don assured him.  “Mikey, you don’t make a commitment like the one we swore to and then go out and open yourself up to an outside relationship.”  He shot a quick look in Leo’s direction.

            Mikey turned also, noting that Leo was still asleep.  With the sudden insight he was known for, he turned back to Don and asked, “Something going on with Leo and Nobody, Donny?”

            “What?”  Don sat bolt upright, his heart leaping into his throat.

            “You heard me.”  Mikey stared intently into Don’s eyes.  “I saw that look you just flashed at Leo when you were talking about outside relationships.  Has big bro’ gotten himself tangled up in one?  Is that why you’re suddenly so protective and possessive?”

            “I am not possessive,” Don snapped.  “I love you guys and what we have is special.  I think you are dismissing us too easily.”

            “I’m not dismissing you, Donny.”  Mike took a step closer, touching his brother’s plastron and letting his fingers trace the lines separating the scutes.

            Don’s breath caught.  “So what are you saying, you think you can have everything?  Nano and us?  Keep doing some kind of magical balancing act?”  His tone lowered further as Mikey stroked his center front line.

            “I’m saying that what I have doesn’t have to turn into a bad thing for anyone,” Mikey told him.  Slowly kneeling in front of Don’s chair, Mikey placed his free hand on Don’s knee, while the other continued to rub his brother’s plastron.

            “Mikey, don’t try to manipulate me,” Don husked, shuddering despite himself.

            Blue eyes wide, Mikey shook his head.  “I’m not.  I’m trying to prove a point.  Just because I love Nano doesn’t mean I can’t love you.  I couldn’t _not_ love you if I tried.”

            Don chuckled despite himself.  “Great grammar Mikey.”  His breath hitched as Mikey’s hand trailed up his leg, dipping to rub along his inner thigh.

            “You’re not gonna lose me, Don.”  Mikey gazed into Don’s soulful eyes.

            “Mikey, you can’t know that.  You can’t know what an outside relationship will do to us,”  Don whispered.

            “I only need to know me.”  Mikey’s face was close to Don’s, his mouth tipped upward and inches from his brother’s.  “And I know you.  I’ll always know you.”

            He pressed his lips to Don’s and then deepened the kiss, pushing his tongue into the wet warmth of his brother’s mouth.  Don churred as his arms came up to snake around Mikey’s neck.

            Mikey’s hand moved up and _in_ , his unerring aim finding Don’s hidden cock.  A teasing touch was all it took to make Don’s already half hard dick drop down into Mikey’s hand.

            Don pulled away from Mikey’s kiss, panting as Mikey stroked him to full erection.

            “This isn’t right, Mikey.  We haven’t resolved anything.”  Don tried to say more, but a low moan was all that came out.

            “Let me do this for you, Donny.  Okay?  Let me show you I love you and fix this shitty night a little,” Mikey urged in a low, guttural voice.

            Before Don could agree, Mikey’s mouth was on his cock.  With a groan, Don leaned back in his chair, his hands moving to Mikey’s shoulders.

            His brother had the most talented mouth of the four of them, and he used it to lick and suck his way over Don’s shaft until the head of his cock was touching the back of Mikey’s throat.  Mikey churred, vibrating his brother’s organ deliciously, before pulling back and sucking on the tip.

            Don’s head fell back, his eyes squeezed tightly as he concentrated on the wonderful tight friction on his cock.  The night fell away; the fear at Leo’s illness, the frantic rush to find an antidote, the awful waiting to find out if it would work.

            Nothing was left but reaching for his peak, the pressure building in his groin as Mikey’s head bobbed up and down on his rigidly hard penis.

            “Umm,” Don hummed and moved his hips upward, unconsciously thrusting into Mikey’s warmth.  His hands climbed from Mike’s shoulder to his head, holding him firmly in place while guiding his speed.

            Mikey felt Don’s dick twist in his mouth; felt it begin to expand.  Don’s thighs were like iron under his hands and his moans and churrs grew slightly louder.  Mikey moved faster, sucking Don down as deeply as possible, licking his way up, and forming a vacuum as he sank back down again.

            He lipped Don’s lower plastron as he took his brother’s cock into his mouth up to the hilt and swallowed around it.

            A sudden picture of Raptarr’s muscled body jumped unbidden into Don’s mind and he came, a hard rush flowing down Mikey’s throat and Mikey took all he offered.  After a couple of minutes, Don’s legs relaxed and a final convulsive shiver ran over his frame.

            Don’s eyes were still closed and he was breathing hard when Mikey released his now limp cock.  Turning to look over his shoulder, Mikey checked to see that Leo was still sleeping and was relieved to see that the sounds of their sex hadn’t awakened him.

            In fact, he seemed more at ease than he had when Mikey first walked into the room.

            Turning back to Don, Mikey saw his brother’s eyes were still tightly shut.

            “You gonna fall asleep like that, Don?  You’ll get a really stiff neck,” Mikey chided him gently.

            Don swallowed and managed to sit up as his eyes slid open.  “Mikey . . . .”

            “Shh,” Mikey interrupted him.  “We’re both too tired to talk and we’ll just end up getting mad at each other and that would spoil the work I just put into getting you relaxed.  I gotta tell Raph and Leo what’s been going on; sensei won’t let me hide it anymore, so we’ll get another chance to hash it all out.”

            Don was feeling too comfortable to argue.  Mikey was right, they would do a better job of discussing the situation when Leo felt better and the stress of nearly losing him faded.

            “Want to squeeze into the bed next to Leo’s with me?” Don asked his younger brother.

            Mikey smiled happily.  “Shell yeah.”  Standing, he caught Don’s hand and they held each other as they checked on Leo, then crawled into bed facing one another.

            “I love you a lot, Donny,” Mikey told him as his eyes slowly closed.

            “I love you too, Mikey.”  Don drifted as well, his last conscious thought was of Raptarr’s arms around him, and the guilty, but pleasurable feeling that gave him.


	23. JF23 Torn Between

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,565  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Recovering from a poisoned bullet, Leo discovers there are other things waiting to be healed.

            Leo’s eyes opened slowly and he blinked to clear them.  The first thing he saw was Nobody, asleep in a chair next to his bed.  The man’s face was drawn; slightly gaunt and pale, vulnerable, attractive.

            Leo shied from that thought, turning his head towards the only sound in the room.  Donny was tapping away on his keyboard, hunched over and squinting slightly at the screen; the single source of light in the infirmary.

            Don must have sensed him, because he glanced in Leo’s direction, reached to flick on a small desk lamp and quickly rose to go to his brother’s side.

            “How do you feel?”  Don leaned over, concern on his face.

            “Ok . . . .”  Leo stopped, throat too dry to speak.

            Don saw his predicament.  “Hang on,” he said and stepped over to the small refrigerator.  He pulled out a bottle of water, twisting off the cap as he rejoined his brother.

            Placing a hand under Leo’s head, Don lifted him enough to enable Leo to take a few sips.  The cool liquid sliding down his throat felt good, but the ache in his joints and his general weakness did not.

            “What happened?” Leo finally managed to ask.

            “The bullet that grazed you was poisoned,” Don explained.  “It had a cyanide tip.  I found the right combination of drugs to counteract what had been absorbed by your system.”

            Leo closed his eyes as parts of the last twenty-four hours came back to him.

            Opening them, he asked, “Mikey?”

            Don’s mouth set in a firm line before he spoke.

            “We found him.  Master Splinter grounded him and gave him some chores to do because of his disappearing act.”  He refrained from saying anything further about the Mikey situation.  That problem could be saved for when Leo was stronger.

            In a low tone, Leo asked, “How long has Nobody been here?”

            Some emotion flickered across Don’s face and was gone too quickly to read.  Before he could answer, another voice broke in.

            “A few hours.”  Nobody sat up straighter and rubbed his eyes.  “I wanted to be here when you woke up.”

            Don caught the significant look that passed between them and felt something pull at his gut.

            “Do you think you could manage some soup, Leo?” Don asked, feeling the need to leave the room.

            “Yeah, Don, that’d be great,” Leo said.  He wasn’t really interested in food at the moment, but he did want some time alone with Nobody.

            The guarded look passed over Don’s face again.  Don glanced up at Nobody and then  he squeezed Leo’s shoulder.

            “I’ll be back after I warm something up.”

            Nobody stood up as Don left the room and moved closer to Leo’s side.

            “Nobody . . . .”  Leo began.

            The vigilante cut him off, rushing into speech.  “Raphael and I spent most of last night trying to find the source of those damned bullets.  He’s quite the hunter, your brother.  A little – unorthodox, but he gets results.  He found someone who confirmed that the poison bullets are a marketed item, not something made specifically to kill me.  His informant couldn’t tell us much more than that, and I’m sure he was telling the truth.  Raph’s ideas of persuasion are rather . . . drastic.”  He stopped to chuckle and earned a small smile of agreement from Leo.

            “Subtlety is not his trademark,” Leo said.

            Nobody continued.  “I guess I don’t have to tell you how much I hate the thought of those bullets getting a wide distribution.”

            He paused to clear the emotion from his  throat and Leo took the opportunity to say, “Stick with Raph, he’s a good hunter.”

            Nobody nodded, glanced down and then back into Leo’s eyes.  “Not as good as you.  You should release him from that promise, Leo.  I appreciate the help, but he and I clash.  He’s angry at me for what happened to you and I’m angry at myself as well.  One of us is going to say the wrong thing.”

            Leo shifted, stiff from lying still for so long.

            “My brothers and I know the risks we face, Nobody.  Raph’s not angry at you; he’s angry at me.  It’s an old argument between us.  Just bear with him another day, and then I’ll rejoin you.”

            Nobody clenched his hands into fists, digging his nails into his palms to remind himself of why he had come.  “Your constitution is marvelous, Leo, but it’s going to be more than a day before you’re running rooftops again.  And as far as rejoining me, I think we both know it has to stop.”

            Leo’s face gave nothing away and Nobody had the fleeting thought that if he’d been human he would have been a hell of a poker player.

            “Because of what happened on the roof after I was shot.”  A flat statement carrying absolutely no inflection.

            Nobody corrected him.  “Because of what I did.  I had no business kissing you.  You were right to call me out for sending you mixed signals.”

            “I’m an adult Nobody, not the teenager you think I am,” Leo said. “Age is a relative thing.”

            Nobody stopped him.  “It’s more than that.  Leo, you know that’s not our only difficulty.”

            “I don’t understand.”  Confused, Leo watched his friend carefully.

            “I saw you with your brothers, Leo.  Maybe I haven’t seen the four of you together enough, but the last couple of days I’ve watched things through new eyes.  You say Raph isn’t mad at me, but he is, and for a reason I don’t think he quite grasps yet.  Donatello is barely tolerating my presence.  I think he knows how I fee . . . .”  Nobody stopped himself quickly.

            “How you feel?” Leo prompted him.

            Nobody refused to be drawn.  “I’m not a stranger to jealousy.  I know what it feels like and what it looks like.  It’s on Donatello’s face when he looks at me.  Leo, even if I could get past the age issue, this is too big.  I won’t get between you and your brothers.  I know . . . .”  He stopped again, embarrassed.

            “You know what?”  Leo’s eyes narrowed.  He needed Nobody to bring it out into the open so he could find out exactly what the man thought he knew.  So that Leo could deal with it.

            The caped vigilante didn’t want to guess anymore.  “I know that you and your brothers are . . . .”

            “I’m back,” Don announced loudly, interrupting them.

            He paused in the doorway, tray in hand and looked from Nobody to Leo.  He could tell he’d walked in on something deep.

            Whatever was between them hadn’t been resolved.  Don was familiar enough with Leo’s facial expressions and body language to see that.

            “I’m sorry guys,” Don said as he came further into the room, “but Leo, you need to eat something and then get some rest.  Your blood was deprived of oxygen and the cells need time to rebuild.”

            He hovered over Leo protectively and all but glared at Nobody.

            “I should go now,” Nobody said.

            “That would be best,” Don told him, the brown eyed stare intense.

            Before he could leave, Leo asked, “You’ll come back, won’t you?”

            There was no sound of need in his voice, but Nobody was sure he could feel it.  Maybe it was his own.

            “I don’t know . . . .”  Nobody fidgeted.

            “I have to know what’s going on out there, Nobody.  I can’t count on Raph to tell me everything,” Leo explained.

            He didn’t add that they had unfinished business between them, but he didn’t need to.  Nobody couldn’t end it on this note, he owed Leo more than that.

            “I’ll come back,” Nobody promised as he pulled on his mask and left.

            A heavy silence fell between Leo and Don for a few minutes after Nobody’s departure.  Finally, Don sighed, set the tray on the floor, and began adjusting Leo’s pillows so he could sit more upright.

            That accomplished, the tray was placed across his lap, and Don picked up the spoon.

            Leo stopped him with a strong hand and a smile.  “I think I can manage to feed myself Don.”

            Chagrinned, Don relinquished the spoon, but didn’t make any move to leave.  Leo forced himself to swallow soup he wasn’t hungry for, knowing Don would find other ways to feed him if he refused.

            Something other than making sure Leo ate was bothering Don, it was obvious in the way he stood next to the bed; his body tense, his brow slightly furrowed.

            “Don, tell me you aren’t mad at Nobody because of what happened to me,” Leo finally said, his tone low and gentle.

            “Not that.”  Don shook his head.

            It was an admission, a small one, but it was an opening.  Don could be more stubborn than Raph in many ways.

            Leo continued to eat, giving his brother time to adjust before he asked, “You are angry though, aren’t you?”

            A slight tremble and a quick peek at anguish as it washed over Don’s face were the only signs, both erased immediately.  Leo set down his spoon and gave Don his total attention.

            “Donny, you have to tell me.  Is it something I did?” Leo asked.

            Meeting Leo’s eyes, Don said, “You talked Leo.  While you were delirious.  You talked.  About him.”

            Leo’s heart sank.


	24. JF24 Kindred

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,581  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Two predators go hunting, but are they both looking for the same thing?

            “I thought ya’ said ya’ wasn’t planning on drowning anyone,” Raph said.  He leaned against a shipping container, palms on the hilts of his sais, apparently totally relaxed.

            “He’s still kicking isn’t he?” Tsunami asked, lifting an eyebrow.

            His captive was thrashing about the dock, a bubble of water covering his head like a large, wet helmet.  Tsunami was on one knee next to him, his face tranquil as he waited, watching the man’s movements became more frantic.

            With a snap of his fingers, the bubble burst and his captive sucked in a huge gasping breath.

            “Yeah he’s doing lots of kicking and absolutely no talking,” Raph commented sarcastically.

            “You really should learn the art of gentle persuasion, Raphael,” Tsunami said, “brute force has its place, I’ll grant you that, but finesse is so much more enjoyable.”

            The turtle shifted.  “Your art ain’t getting the job done pal.  He ain’t said much more than “ _stop, don’t kill me I don’t know anything_ ”.  Ya’ even sure he does?” Raph asked.

            “Oh yes,” Tsunami answered, “he just doesn’t understand how important talking to me really is, but he will.”

            The captive continued to breathe rapidly, fear as much as lack of oxygen driving his lungs harder.

            “That gonna happen before sunup?” Raph asked. “I wasn’t planning on growing old here.  Why don’t ya’ step aside and let this New York City guy show ya’ how ta beat an answer out of someone?”

            “You did a beautiful job of that last evening, or so I was told by Nobody.”  Tsunami gently waved his long fingers towards the water lapping at the edge of the dock.  Instantly, another large bubble rose up, landed on the wooden dock, and rolled towards Tsunami.

            “I’m sorry I missed it,” Tsunami added.

            His captive’s eyes widened as he turned his head and watched the bubble roll towards him.  The slightest wave of a fingertip stopped the bubble inches from the man’s head and held it there, the water spinning and sloshing in its confinement.

            Raph smirked.  “Playing games may get ya’ off,” he said, “but I prefer just getting the job done.”

            “Patience is a virtue,” Tsunami replied.  Leaning over to look his captive directly in the eyes, he said, “Mine, however, is growing short.  So I will give you three choices, sir.  One, drown in this water bubble.  Two, take a beating from my large, muscular friend or three, tell me about poisoned bullets.”

            The man tried to struggle away from Tsunami’s grip but found the lean, broad shouldered mutant was much too strong.  With a turn of his head, he spotted the giant turtle; took in the powerful frame and intense glare, and stopped moving.

            “Okay, stop.  I’ll tell you what I know.  Just . . . just don’t kill me okay?” the man begged.

            Tsunami leaned back and grinned.  “I don’t want to kill you.  Do you want to kill him?” he asked Raph.

            “Maybe a little,” Raph said.  “Talk me out of it.”

            The man swallowed audibly.  “Look, I just keep an eye on the containers at night, ya’ know?  Kinda just keep an eye on the cameras ‘cause the boss is too cheap ta actually put film in ‘em and he don’t wanna pay for security.”

            “That’s a lovely insight.  Please arrive at the point,” Tsunami said.

            “The point is he don’t pay me much,” the man whined.  “Some guy gave me a few bucks ta’ not see his men unloading containers before the city inspectors got ta ‘em.  That’s it, that’s all I do.  I just turn my back when they show up.”

            Raph straightened up and asked, “Who’s the guy that’s paying ya?”

            “We didn’t exactly exchange names,” the man answered.  Tsunami reached over and picked up the water bubble, bouncing it meaningfully on his palm.

            “I don’t know his name!” the man yelled.  “He came one time ta make that deal with me and I ain’t seen him since.  I get paid by one of his men and part of that money is for keepin’ my mouth shut.”

            “That bit of information is hardly worth the effort we had to put into making you talk, my friend.  Give us more.”  Tsunami dipped a finger into the brackish water and drew a line across the man’s mouth with it.

            His captive sputtered at the taste.  “They told me they’d kill me if I told anyone an’ I believe ‘em.  You’re gonna get me killed!”

            Raph took a step towards them and squatted so the man could see his face.  “I’d be worried about me right now, pal.  I ain’t known for my gentle nature.”

            The man started to shake and Raph stared at him in disgust.

            Tsunami watched in amusement.  “Raphael, you do have a way with words.  The whole point of this, however, is to get _him_ to say a few.”

            “Seems like he’s saying as few as possible,” Raph snapped.

            Tsunami shook his head and said, “You really are quite a beast.  It’s a good thing I’m so beautiful.”  With a chuckle he turned his attention back to the prone captive.

            “I am personally having a great deal of fun playing ‘good cop, bad cop’,” he told the man, “but my friend here isn’t actually playing.  Time to spill your guts.  Before he does.”

            “I got a phone number,” the man rushed to say.  “I call it whenever containers with a certain shipper number show up.  The men come that same night an’ unload cases full of them bullets.  I seen ‘em ‘cause one got dropped once and spilled out.”

            “Is that all?” Tsunami asked.

            The man cringed at his tone.  “Yeah, that’s it.  Them bullets told me my mouth needed ta stay closed.”

            Tsunami’s mouth twisted into a sideways grin.  “You should think seriously about a career change.  Where are the phone and shipper numbers?”

            “In my wallet,” the man said.

            Tsunami lifted a brow.  “Get it,” he ordered.

            Raph watched with narrowed eyes as the man fished into his back pocket and extracted a beat up wallet.  His hands were shaking as he dug inside and pulled out a worn slip of paper, offering it to Tsunami.

            Before the blue mutant could react, Raph snatched the paper out of the man’s hand with lightning fast reflexes.

            “I got a brother who can do more with this than ya’ can,” Raph told him.

            Tsunami grinned.  “Of course you do,” he said, hiding the excited shiver that Raph’s show of speed gave him.

            A whine pulled his attention back to the man lying on the dock.

            “C . . . could I go now?  I don’t wanna be here no more,” he said.

            “I’m sorry, but we shall have to depart first.  Your fondness for telephones; you understand don’t you?” Tsunami asked.

            “What--?” the man began just as Tsunami pressed strong fingers into the side of his neck.

            With a low groan, the man passed out.

            Standing, Raph said, “Nice trick.”

            Tsunami rose slowly, his eyes focused on Raphael.  “I have a lot of them,” he said suggestively.

            Raph grunted.  “I bet ya’ do,” he said.

            Stepping closer, Tsunami asked him, “Do you want me to show them to you?”

            Raph pulled his head back and up.  “I got my own.  Keep fucking with me and I’ll practice a few on ya’.”

            “Anytime,” Tsunami answered, his voice on octave lower.

            “Step off, Tsunami,” Raph threatened.  Why the blue man liked pushing his buttons was something he couldn’t figure out, but he was damned if he was going to back away first.

            Tsunami continued to stare at him with an infuriating smirk on his lips and Raph stared back, his eyes narrowing in challenge.

            “I always make you mad, don’t I Raphael?” Tsunami asked.  “But never quite mad enough.  Why do you suppose that is?”

            “I’d have ta think about ya’ ta give ya’ an answer on that, drip.  It just so happens I don’t think about ya’ at all,” Raph said.

            “Too bad.”  Tsunami passed his eyes over Raph’s frame; from head to toe and back again.  “I really do know lots of nice tricks.”

            “I think I’m gonna puke,” Raph replied without moving.

            With a laugh, Tsunami broke the staring contest first and moved back.  “You are by far the most entertaining of your brothers,” he said.

            “Yeah, it’s your world, garden hose.  Thanks for letting the rest of us live in it,” Raph replied caustically.

            “Oh, you’re welcome,” Tsunami said flippantly.  “Should we take that paper to your brother Donatello now?”

            “ _I’ll_ take it ta him.  Ain’t no need for ya’ ta come ta the lair,” Raph announced.

            Tsunami contemplated him, one brow raised.  “This is still a joint exercise,” he said as a reminder.

            “How could I fucking forget?” Raph snapped.  “I sure as shell hope this leads somewhere, ‘cause I’m getting damn sick of both ya’ and Nobody.”

            “Poor, long suffering Raphael.  Here I thought you were really starting to enjoy my company.  I’m crushed,” Tsunami said in a mock hurt tone.

            “Damn sad that’s just a figure of speech,” Raph said as he started to leave.

            Tsunami hopped to catch up to him, striding alongside Raph and keeping up easily, despite the turtle’s obvious attempt to outpace him.

            “I can at least walk you home,” Tsunami said.

            “We ain’t on a date, water pipe,” Raph grumbled, not slowing down.

            _“That’s what you think,”_ Tsunami said to himself, his cheeky grin firmly in place.


	25. JF25 Quicksand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 2,081  
> Rated: R  
> Summary: The more he struggles, the faster he seems to sink.

            Don was definitely having mixed emotions and it was an unusual feeling for him.

            He was a turtle of science.  In his world there were very few shades of gray.  Either something worked, or it didn’t.  If it didn’t, well then, he knew he needed to keep trying.

            Sex with his brothers _worked_.  It was a wonderful, loving outlet that brought them closer and it was fulfilling because of the trust they had in each other.  It was also exciting, exhilarating and made them feel alive in a world that wouldn’t ever acknowledge or accept their existence.

            Except that Mikey had moved outside their circle and found a new . . . love?  Don sighed; the whole idea of Mikey’s relationship confused the shell out of him.

            Leave it to Mikey to think he could have everything regardless of the consequences.  Who was Don kidding?  Mikey never _saw_ consequences.  Those were speed bumps in the road on the way to getting what he wanted.

            Don might be considered the genius in the family, but for sheer audacity and insight, Mikey was hands down the leader.  Leave it to him to come out of a stern lecture from Master Splinter to inform Don of his affair as ordered by their sensei, and then just as Don is about to lose it, do the one thing guaranteed to stop a Donny meltdown in its tracks.

            Don absolutely recognized the maneuver was another page out of the book he would someday write titled, “Michelangelo’s Manipulation Manual”.

            But the fact was Don did need the release because he _had_ been on what his brother liked to call “overload to meltdown”.  Mikey’s ability to recognize that and use it to his advantage was why the orange banded turtle deserved to have a book written about him.

            Don was positively on overload that night.  He was operating on very little sleep, dealing with first a bullet wound and then the anxiety about poison.  They were all looking to him to cure Leo and he wasn’t even sure he could.  On top of that Raph was angry and prone to going off on a rampage and then Mikey pulled his disappearing act.

            Hearing Leo’s words while he was delirious hurt.  On top of everything else, they hurt because he remembered how Leo had come to him one night to take him into his bed and now Don believed that Leo had used him to free his own mind of the torture of wanting someone else.

            What Raph had worried about; what he had expressed as a real fear to Donatello had been summarily dismissed by the purple banded turtle.  He didn’t believe Mikey or Leo would go away from the brothers for love, but he wanted to think he could be accepting of it.

            He wasn’t feeling all that accepting at the moment.

            Not for what Mikey had confessed, not for what Leo refused to confess.

            Don had confronted Leo with the words his brother had uttered during his delirium and his brother wouldn’t discuss it, other than to say it wasn’t anything and that Don should forget about it.

            Nothing.  The way Nobody looked at Leo; the way Leo looked at Nobody.  Nothing.

            Don squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed at them.  Mikey confessing to Don first because he saw Don was at a low point.  Mikey _was_ a ninja after all; it was only fitting that he would use any advantage he could find.

            Don had accepted it because his need was just too great.  Letting Mikey manipulate him that way now left him open to further manipulation; like a snow ball rolling downhill it would sure as shell grow.  Mikey would probably ask him to help smooth over the news of his affair to the other two brothers; would probably expect Don’s tacit acceptance of it to force the others to also accept his relationship with Nano.

            Don recognized the slippery slope Mikey had placed him on with that damn blow job but he couldn’t have stopped Mikey even if he had wanted to.  Because Don had to admit to himself he had used Mikey the way Leo had used him; as a way to push aside his desire for someone else.

            The moment that Raptarr had wrapped Don in a tight embrace the turtle’s world had shifted off center.  He had never thought about his friend in such a way before, but now he suddenly was overwhelmed with strange desires for the Avian and didn’t know what to do about them.

            Acknowledging the longing would make him a hypocrite.  It would also make life way too complicated and uncomfortable, because as far as he could tell, Raptarr was doing nothing more than offering him support.  There was no way he was going to destroy his friendship with the Avian by expressing any type of lurid desire.  Raptarr was by far too gentle, too kind and caring to be subjected to Don’s unnatural attraction.

            Don just needed to find a way to compartmentalize those feelings.  If he could just put them someplace where they could be relegated to the realm of personal fantasy never to be acted upon he could contain them.  Then hopefully, he could continue to behave normally around Raptarr.

            Clouds were rolling in as he looked up at the night sky and then double checked his watch.  The message he’d received via email from Chrysalis said to meet her here at ten.  It was a little past that now.

            He rarely came out alone except to explore the junkyard.  Leo said he was too easily distracted by tech things and could become an easy target for the Foot.  Don didn’t resent that because he rarely resented anything Leo said, knowing it was true.  Plus, Don wasn’t really all that interested in going topside unless he had a purpose.  There were always far too many things to be done in the lair.

            Chrys hadn’t said why she wanted to meet, just that she did and that it was important.  The time alone and away from the lair gave him the opportunity to try to gather his thoughts.  Well he’d gathered them, held them out like a big poker hand, and still wasn’t sure what he had.

            “Donatello,” Chrysalis called as she swooped down onto the rooftop to join him.  “I’m so happy you could meet me.  I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to leave Leonardo.  How is he?”

            “He’s well, thanks.  Recovering nicely now that the poison has cleared his system,” Don replied.

            “I’m so glad.”  Her smile was bright.  She was a pretty young woman and Don was enough of a teenage guy to enjoy having one smile at him.

            His return smile was encouraging and Chrysalis, a firm believer in taking the fight to the enemy, was made bolder by it.

            “I guess you’re pretty curious as to why I sent you that message to meet me,” she said.

            Don’s smile faded.  “Actually, yes.  The urgency seemed to indicate there was some sort of problem.  It’s not about--?”  The question trailed off as he realized it was possible she didn’t know about some things yet.

            She did.  “No, not about Mikey and Nano.”  At his surprised look she lifted a hand and brushed that controversy aside.  “I heard SS catch him coming home late the night Leo took ill.  I don’t know that his secret is out with anyone else, I just happened to be up because I was working with Raptarr to try and find Michelangelo.”

            “Ah,” he said at her explanation.  “Then what--?”

            This time she interrupted.  “I was also waiting up for Raptarr.”

            Don nodded slowly as light began to dawn.  “He was at the lair,” Don said.

            “I know,” she told him.  “He told me that Mikey had finally shown up and that he left when he heard Master Splinter begin to chide him.”  Chrys giggled.  “Chide is the exact word he used.  I would have said ‘bitch him out’ but then, that’s just me.  Raptarr is too much the gentleman to use that type of language.”

            “That’s very true,” Don said, wondering if she would get to the point.

            Apparently Chrysalis sensed his impatience.  “I like Raptarr,” she told Don simply, adding, “and he likes you.”

            “He’s a very good friend,” Don said.

            Chrys put a hand on her hip and eyed Don.  “No, I mean he _likes_ you, Don.  As in more than a friend.”

            Don gaped at her, and then said, “I think you’re mistaken.”

            “Am I?” Chrys asked.  “Think about it.  How much time has he been spending with you since his return from Avian?   He keeps finding reasons to visit you in your home; thinking of projects you two can do together.  Does he touch you a lot?  Even just little touches; or trying to stay close to you?  He thinks about you when you’re not together.”

            “How do you know that?” Don asked.  He was trying desperately not to let her words give him some kind of hope, because thinking Raptarr didn’t care for him was all that was keeping him centered.

            “I know because _I’m_ there.  We work together, we live in the same place and we talk.  Not that he’s come out in the open and said anything, it’s just that I know from what he does say,” Chrysalis told him.

            Don stared at her.  “Why are you telling me this?”

            “He’s looking for a mate,” she stated flatly.  “He went home for a month in an attempt to find someone, but apparently all he can think about is _you_.  That’s wrong, Donatello.  That’s not good for him.  His biological imperative is to procreate, and he can’t do that with you.”

            Those words were painful.  Don would never do anything to hurt his friend.

            “I’m not . . . I didn’t know,” Don said.

            “Of course not.”  Chrys was emphatic.  “Raptarr is reserved and shy.  He couldn’t tell you, so he’s trying to show you.  But you’re not open to that, are you Don?”

            He wished he could answer her just as emphatically.  Instead he said, “I need to talk to him.”

            “About what?  Are you going to bring it up and embarrass him?  You have a thing with your brothers, don’t you?” she asked.

            Don said nothing and Chrys huffed, frustrated.  “Okay, keep your secrets.  I know and so does he.  Raptarr doesn’t want to accept how inseparable the four of you are and he’s just going to drift in a fog of unrequited love until he grows old.”

            _“Oh, shell,”_ Don thought, and then said, “Chrysalis, how do I fix this?”

            “He needs to understand that you’re off limits,” she said.  “Completely and totally out of bounds and that he has absolutely no chance with you.  When he asks to see you say no.  If he manages to be where you are, don’t let him close to you and don’t spend time alone with him.”

            “Won’t he be . . . hurt?  He’ll think I don’t want him for a friend anymore.  I don’t want to send that kind of message either,” Don said.

            “Pick a side of the fence, Donatello,” Chrys responded bluntly.  “He’s not going to hate you because you don’t choose to be with him.  He’ll get over it and I’ll be there to pick up the pieces.”

            “You will?” Don asked.

            “Yes, because I want him.”  Chrysalis was brutally honest.  “We belong together and his obsession with you is keeping us apart.  I can give him what he needs and you can’t and that’s just the way it is.  If you are truly his friend, you’ll help me.”

            Don realized he shouldn’t even really have to think about it.  The solution was logical and solved problems that didn’t need to develop further.  So why was he hesitating?

            All she was asking was that he help her give Raptarr as nice, normal hetero relationship; the kind most guys dreamed of their whole lives.  Just because Don couldn’t hope for such a thing didn’t mean he should stand in the way of Raptarr’s happiness.

            “I’ll do what I can,” he promised.

            “Oh, thank you,” Chrys said, smiling again.  She brushed his cheek with a quick kiss, and flew off with a flap of her translucent wings.

            Once she was out of sight, Don dropped to the rooftop, his control over his legs giving way.

            What the shell had he just done?


	26. JF26 Machinations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,307  
> Rated: R for language, adult concepts and the view inside that skull.  
> Summary: Ever wonder what goes on in Mikey's head?

            Sharpening, cleaning and repairing shuriken was absolutely Michelangelo’s least favorite chore.  It was even lower on Mikey’s graduated scale of boring required duties than meditation.

            That was why Master Splinter has chosen this chore as part of Mikey’s punishment.

            It did afford him a great chance to think about his current dilemma.  He hadn’t talked to Nano since getting caught sneaking back to the lair after their last encounter, so Mikey had no idea of what was going on at Justice Force headquarters.

            Nobody had been to the lair to sit in the infirmary with Leo once, but Mikey recognized the look on his face and didn’t bother to ask him any questions.  His oldest brother got that same look sometimes; intense focus and determination that blocked out everything except the matter at hand.

            He wondered again about the two of them.  Considering Don’s reaction when Mikey took a stab at that in the dark, he was pretty sure something was going on.  If Leo was having an affair with Nobody and wasn’t getting chewed out for it, then Mikey was gonna raise a big ruckus.

            Double standards were so not fair.

            With a snort, he hammered out the bent point on a shuriken they’d recovered from their last fight with the Foot.  Recycling the Foot’s shuriken and reusing it on them sorta made up for this chore.

            Trying to focus and stop thinking about his injured feelings, Mikey reviewed his game plan.  He had taken advantage of Don’s tired state to spill his secret to the genius.  Knowing Don’s mind was elsewhere when he dropped his bombshell was kinda dirty pool, but somebody had once said ‘all’s fair in love and war’.

            So Mikey figured that the only way to keep his love was to wage a war, and unfortunately for Don, he was listed as the first casualty.

            Now he had to decide how to proceed next.  Fortunately, Master Splinter had only told him to tell his brothers about Nano ‘soon’.  He didn’t give Mikey a time limit which meant the orange banded turtle could work within his own definition of ‘soon’.

            If Master Splinter said he wasn’t moving fast enough, Mikey always had his confession to Don to fall back on.

            Telling Leo next had its advantages.  If Leo was having a fling with Nobody, then Mikey had him stamped and postmarked.  Leo would have to take his side, or risk the loss of his lover.

            With Leo on his side, swinging Don the rest of the way over was cake.  Donny didn’t go against Leo on _anything_.  Well, unless it had to do with his health.  When it came to that, Don could be a real bastard with all of them.

            If nothing was going on with Leo and Nobody, then Mikey would appeal to Leo as older brother.  He would tell Leo that their arrangement worked on the premise that none of them had a shot at real love and that he thought he had found someone.  It would be hurtful to set aside his heart’s desire to honor an agreement that was ambiguous at best.

            Yeah, he knew the big words when he needed them.

            He would probably have to talk Don into backing his play if he had to go that route.  That meant getting Donny completely turned to his point of view before tackling Leo.  It would be tough, but by no means impossible.  His ace was that blow job; it was a masterful piece of manipulation even if he did say so himself.

            Mikey knew darn well that Don knew he’d been played.  But since Don let it happen, then Donny couldn’t fall back on injured innocence as a defense.

            Of course, he’d sorta alluded to a shared situation while he was blowing Don.  The promise was spur of the moment and he hadn’t actually talked to Nano about it.  He was pretty confident though; after all, Nano was still new at the whole concept of family.  Mikey just needed to make sure Nano thought sharing Mikey with his bro’s was normal.  It was nice having a boyfriend with no preconceived prejudices.

            With Don behind him, he could tell Leo that neither Don nor Master Splinter had a problem with his having a boyfriend.  He would have to bring Master Splinter into it though, and would have to be really careful how he worded his statement.  ‘Cause Leo would probably discuss the situation with their sensei, and Mikey didn’t want Master Splinter catching him out in any untruths.

            Master Splinter hadn’t said he had a problem with Nano and Mikey; he said he had a problem with Mikey having an affair without telling his brothers first.  Maybe that was splitting a rat hair, but it was the truth.

            Dealing with Raph was a whole different situation.  Having Don at his back during that discussion would probably be best as well.  Don had a way of calming Raph down that didn’t involve coming to blows.

            Leaving Leo out of the discussion with Raph would save a lot of bloodshed.

            There was no real strategy for dealing with Raph other than to blurt out the truth and prepare to duck.  If the opportunity presented itself, he’d find a way to deliver the news after Raph had sucked down a couple of beers.

            Maybe he could get Casey to drop off a six-pack of the good stuff since he couldn’t go out and get it himself.  Being grounded sucked.

            Or he could tell Raph before he told Leo.  If he dropped a few key phrases, he could get Raph so riled at Leo over the situation that he’d side with Mikey just to piss Leo off.

            Then he could tell Leo that while they both knew Raph wasn’t able to control himself, Leo was going to have to be the responsible one and think about what was best for the family.  He would give Leo a wistful smile and bat his baby blues while telling his bro’ how he trusted Leo to think of Mikey’s happiness and that his future was in his big brothers hands.

            Mikey would walk away with his shoulders and head down and sit in his room quietly for a couple of hours.  That’s usually all it took before Leo came in to deliver a patented Leo lecture guaranteed to put an insomniac to sleep but to which Mikey would listen with rapt attention because at the end of it, Mikey would get what he wanted.

            By the time Raph realized that he didn’t really want Mikey to be with Nano, it would be too late.  He would have already agreed to it, and would never in a million years admit he was a) wrong and b) doing or saying something specifically to anger Leo.

            Of course, all of that was predicated on Leo _not_ having an affair with Nobody.  If he was, then the order and way in which he informed Raph of the Nano situation would alter drastically.

            Mikey’s rapid fire brain ran through all the assorted convolutions of his problem in a matter of minutes.  He wished he could get through the stack of shuriken that quickly.

            A sound got his attention and he looked up.  Leo was standing in the doorway to the dojo staring at him in amazement.  His brother looked a little off-color, and he was moving slowly so as not to tear his stitches, but he was up and around.

            “Don told me Master Splinter gave you some chores to do for disappearing the other night, but I had no idea he was this mad at you.  What the shell else did you do?” Leo asked.

            Mikey looked up and smiled, making sure to open his eyes wide.  Enough with the planning, it was time to go to work.


	27. JF27 Giving The Devil His Due

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,557  
> Rated: R for language and that lasting mental picture.....  
> Summary: The Raphie doth protest too much, methinks.

            “Earth ta Don,” Raph said.

            “Huh, what?”  Don blinked and saw Raph standing next to him.

            “Where were ya’?  I been standing here talking ta ya’ for five minutes,” Raph told him.

            “Sorry Raph, I guess I’ve got a lot on my mind,” Don said.

            Suspicious, Raph asked, “Okay.  Where’s Leo?”

            “His room.”  Don shuffled some papers together while he talked.  “He’s well enough not to have to stay in the infirmary.”

            “Ya’ sure he ain’t doing something that’ll rip out them stitches?” Raph asked.

            “No, he’s good.  He promised to take it easy,” Don answered distractedly.

            Raph lowered his eye ridges, staring intently at his brother.  “Um, Donny, ya’ been getting any sleep?”

            “Yes, I’m fine Raph,” Don said.

            “Well, something’s wrong,” Raph stated positively.

            “I’m fine Raph,” Don insisted, rising from his chair to place the papers in his file cabinet.  “Maybe just a little worried.”

            Raph sighed.  “Yeah.  I’ll be happy when we run down the source of those bullets and take ‘em off the streets.  Maybe then we can get the damn Justice Force off our ass.  I’ve never seen so much of those guys as I have the past week.”

            Don turned his head to say something and then thought better of it.  Master Splinter had made it clear that it was Mikey’s duty to inform his brothers of his affair.  The added situations with Nobody and Raptarr would simply infuriate the hot head.

            At the moment, Raph was too involved with a problem of his own to notice Don’s sudden silence.

            “It’s bad enough I gotta chaperone Nobody around so he don’t get some new air holes shot into him, but fucking Tsunami . . . .”  Raph trailed off, catching himself.

            “What about Tsunami?  He’s only been here once,” Don asked.

            Raph gave him a hard look before answering, “Look Don, what I’m gonna tell ya’ has gotta stay between us, get it?”

            “I’m not promising anything until I hear what you have to say, Raph.  If it’s your private business then I can keep it to myself,” Don said.

            Raph shrugged knowing that would have to be good enough.  “Tsunami and I have been doing a little side hunting the last few nights after Case and Nobody go home.  Tsunami’s the one who got a hold of that paper I gave ya’.”

            Don’s eye ridges lifted.  “I thought you couldn’t stand Tsunami,” he said.

            “Ya’ thought right,” Raph said flatly, “but it turns out he’s pretty good at tracking stuff like this.  For some fucking reason he attached himself ta’ me ‘cause he seems ta think he needs a partner.”

            “Re~ally,” Don drawled, staring hard at Raph.

            If Raph noticed anything strange about the inflection, he didn’t let on.  Instead he started pacing and ranting, apparently having stored up a fair amount of bile on the subject and was thankful to Don for giving him the chance to vent his spleen.

            “I can’t fucking turn around without running into that guy.  He says he wants ta find the source of them bullets but he don’t want ta hunt with Nobody ‘cause the other Justice Force guys play by too many rules.  So he decides he needs ta be attached ta my hip.  I told him why don’t he just go chase his tail and he makes some damn wisecrack about mine.

            “He ain’t like Casey, ya know?  Case says shit n’ I say shit, but we ain’t trying ta piss each other off.  We’re just doing our thing.  Tsunami gotta dig at me all the fucking time; don’t matter what we’re in the middle of, including persuading some guy ta spill his guts, Tsunami’s gotta make some wise ass comment.”

            “Why did you agree to hunt with him?” Don asked softly.

            “’Cause he made it sound like he knew what he was doing.  And fuck if he don’t, Don.  He’s fucking _good_ at that shit.  Better than Case at tracking down people who know stuff and damn good at getting ‘em ta talk.”  His sudden bark of laughter caught Don by surprise.

            “What?” Don asked.

            “His way don’t leave no marks.”  Once more he laughed and Don eyed him thoughtfully.

            “It almost sounds like you might be enjoying yourself,” Don said.

            The laughter immediately stopped as a fierce look crossed Raph’s face.  “Well I fucking ain’t and ya’ better get that straight.  Just ‘cause I can appreciate the drip’s work don’t mean I like him.”

            Don’s palms came up in a pacifying gesture.  “Didn’t mean anything by that, Raph.”

            Raph watched him for a moment and then his face began to smooth out.  “Okay, just so ya’ understand where I’m coming from.  Once this mess is cleared up, I don’t wanna see the walking water barrel again.”

            “We normally don’t see the JF members all that often,” Don reminded him.  “ _Except now Nano is Mikey’s boyfriend,”_ he added to himself.

            Raph continued as though Don hadn’t spoken.  “Tonight; tomorrow night outta do it.  We catch the guy on the other end of that phone, he spills his guts about his boss and we get our hands on that poisoned ammunition.  Then I’m done with fucking Nobody and that blue pain in the ass.  Figure’s he’d have ta be blue.”

            “Funny,” Don observed, his expression thoughtful.

            Raph threw his hands into the air in exasperation.  “He’s fucking worse than Mikey with the innuendos ‘n shit.  Why do I gotta hear it?  Why don’t he get himself a fucking girlfriend?  Chrysalis lives with the asshole and she ain’t a bad looker.”

            “Maybe you should tell him that,” Don said, his eyes concentrated and his mind drifting.

            Something in the tone finally got Raph’s attention.  “Yo, Donny. Am I losing ya’ there again?”

            Don shook himself.  “No, just following a train of thought.  Raph, what kind of things is Tsunami saying to you?”

            Raph’s mouth snapped shut as he studied Don.  “The usual crap,” he finally answered.  “Like saying he gets off on the way I talk n’ telling me he likes the way I look when I’m pissed.  Ya’ know, sarcastic shit.”

            “And yet you’ve never actually come to blows with Tsunami,” Don observed carefully.

            “No~o.”  Raph paused as though thinking about it.  “He always gets me right ta that point and then does one of them goofy laughs of his and says he don’t mean anything by it.  He’s fucking weird.”  Raph shook his head, contemplating some deep inner thought.

            “So when are you going to see him again?” Don asked.

            Raph gave a start at the wording and looked at his brother suspiciously; seeing only an open expression of curiosity.

            “We’re supposed ta meet up tonight near the warehouse we got staked out.  There’s plenty of places he can hang without Nobody seeing him.  If the party gets rough, he can jump in.  One thing I’ll give the faucet; he’s okay in a fight.”

            “Do you want Mikey and I to go along?  I don’t like you out there without one of us to watch your back,” Don said with concern.

            “Since when do I need someone ta watch my back?” Raph growled.  “Me ‘n Case do this kinda shit all the time.  I got enough ta do with watching so Nobody stays in one piece and making sure Tsunami don’t just knock on the door an’ ask ta be invited in.  Don’t need ta worry ‘bout nothing else. ‘Sides, Mikey’s grounded and if ya’ run off, Leo’s gonna fucking follow and try ta be a hero.  I’ll end up getting blamed for him ripping his stitches.  No thanks.”

            Real worry in his eyes, Don said, “But you promise you’ll call if things get bad, right?  Cyanide is tricky stuff and I don’t want you handling it.”

            “I’ll call, Don.  I ain’t got no death wish.  If we find that poison and ya’ wanna play with it, then it’s all yours,” Raph promised.

            “So what will you do with Tsunami when this is all over?” Don asked.

            “What do ya’ mean ‘what’ll I do with him’?” Raph shot back.  “He goes his way, I go mine.  I got a partner ta run with and I don’t need another one, ‘specially if its Tsunami.  If he wants somebody ta entertain him, he needs ta look closer ta home.”

            “Hmm,” Don murmured thoughtfully.

            “Shit, maybe he’s into guys and Chrys just don’t do it for him,” Raph muttered.  “Hey, Don, ya’ think Tsunami’s a repressed homo?”

            “I don’t think Tsunami is repressed about anything Raph,” Don answered with a chuckle.

            “Yeah,” Raph agreed.  “He likes himself all right.  He probably jerks off in front of a mirror.”

            “Thanks for that mental picture Raph,” Don said sarcastically.

            Raph snapped his fingers and laughed.  “I got it.  I’ll just push old blue off on the winged man.  I never see Raptarr hanging with the ladies.  Fuck, between Chrys and Raptarr one of them has gotta do it for Tsunami.  He just needs someone ta open his eyes to the possibilities.”

            With a sinking feeling, Don said, “Playing matchmaker Raph?  That’s a bit out of character.”

            “Hey Don,” Raph said, “Ya’ let Tsunami follow ya’ around for a week and tell me if ya’ don’t get desperate.”

            Don didn’t bother to answer.  He was already feeling a little desperate.


	28. JF28 Sleight Of Hand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,058  
> Rated: PG-13 just because she doesn't rate an R yet.  
> Summary: Girl talk, of the insidious kind.

            All in all, Chrysalis was quite pleased with herself.  She had elicited a promise from Donatello to shun Raptarr and she knew he would keep his word.  That was one thing about the ninja she had counted on.  Tricking him into giving his word left her an open playing field, because he would sooner die than break his promise.

            It was a matter of honor now, and the only thing that could change their agreement would be for her to release him from it.  That wasn’t going to happen.

            “What’s wrong with Raptarr?”

            Turning, Chrys watched Ananda walk towards her across the Justice Force building’s rooftop.  Ana was looking toward Raptarr’s retreating form as he skimmed over the New York city skyline.

            “What do you mean?” Chrys asked.

            Ananda shrugged and leaned her forearms against the parapet.  “He’s been really tense lately.  And just now, I overheard the end part of a phone call.  I wasn’t trying to listen; he was standing right in the middle of the great hall.”

            “Who was he talking to?” Chrys asked although pretty sure she could guess.

            “Donatello,” Ananda answered.  “All I heard was, ‘But I don’t understand why Donatello’, and then he listened a minute and said, ‘All right, I will honor your request’.  After that he hung up and looked so upset I had to ask what was wrong.”

            “He didn’t tell you?” Chrys asked.

            Ana shook her head.  “He said it was nothing and that he was late for patrol.”  She snorted.  “You know how he is.  The roof could be caving in and he’d say nothing was wrong.”

            “Strong, silent type,” Chrys said with a touch of admiration.

            “Something like that,” Ana replied, distracted by a different thought.  “I bet it was about Nano and Michelangelo.  Everyone seems to be in an uproar about that little affair.”

            “Mmm,” Chrys murmured.  Looking at Ana closely, she asked, “What about you?”

            “Me?” Ananda repeated.  “I wouldn’t say I was in an uproar the way the guys seem to be, but I am interested.  I mean really Chrys, Nano and Mikey?”

            Chrys giggled.  “I know what you mean.  I love Nano but how does a machine have those kinds of urges?”

            “With Mikey,” Ana said.  “Honestly Chrys, I never thought of the Turtles being with _anybody_ , do you know what I mean?”

            “Can’t say I ever thought about it,” Chrys said.

            “But that’s exactly what I’m driving at,” Ana said emphatically.  “I always thought of them as more . . . _asexual_.  I mean, I know they are guys, but where is their--?”

            “This thing with Nano and Mikey get you thinking about that?” Chrys asked incredulously.

            “Well, not really all of a sudden,” Ana admitted.  “I kind of wondered about it before.”

            Ananda was staring at her hands, a light blush creeping across her cheeks.  Usually a very bold, forthright person not given to femininity, the look was unusual and Chrys was instantly alert.

            Turning to face Ananda, Chrys leaned a hip against the low wall and asked, “Any particular reason why you would think about them in that context?”

            Blushing harder, Ana said, “Between you and me?”

            Chrys nodded.  “Of course.”

            Ana took a deep breath.  “I sort of had a little crush on one of them.  I didn’t think anything could even come of it, so I pushed it aside.  But now, with this Mikey thing, well obviously they can have . . . you know, _sex_.  So now I’m stuck with these feelings again.”

            “Which one?” Chrys asked, and then noticed the look on Ana’s face and said quickly, “Don’t say if you don’t want to.  I’m just curious I guess.  You never seem to think of things like that.”

            Ana laughed.  “I suppose this is a surprise to you, huh?  It’s kind of a surprise to me too, considering my family’s history.  I made an oath with myself to never get involved with anyone, but Don’s so . . . _different_.”  She stopped and eyed Chrys warily.

            “ _Donatello_?” Chrys repeated.  “You’re interested in Donatello?”

            “Crazy, I know.”  Ananda frowned.  “I don’t know, he’s just so sweet and gentle and smart and funny in a quiet kind of way.  When I speak to him about the Domeoids he knows exactly what I’m talking about.  It’s . . . refreshing.  And he’s really cute,” she added.

            It was too good to be true.  Chrys was beside herself with excitement at Ananda’s confession.  Striving to sound nonchalant, Chrysalis asked, “What are you going to do about it?”

            “Do?” Ana repeated, astounded.  “Nothing.  Look at the stink Mikey’s relationship is causing.”

            “That’s because Nano is a machine—a male machine,” Chrys said bluntly.  “No one will say anything negative if Don and you get together.  Hell, they’ll probably throw a party.”

            “Do you really think so?” Ana asked hopefully.

            “Ananda, they’ve probably given up hope of ever having a real relationship with someone.  No doubt that’s why Mikey is having this . . . _thing_ with Nano.  You’re a beautiful woman with a great mind.  That family would be tickled pink to have you as Don’s girlfriend.”

            Ana stood up and asked, “But how do I get to see him?  He obviously doesn’t want to have anything to do with the Justice Force right now, judging from the conversation he had with Raptarr.”

            “Raptarr was more than likely trying to be a supportive friend and Don isn’t open to that right now; it’s too much a reminder of Nano and Mikey.  So don’t bring that up.  Surely you have some sciency roboty thing you can ask for his help with?” Chrys asked.

            A small buzzer on Ana’s belt sounded and she pressed a button to silence it.  “My timer.  I’ve been recharging a new battery component on the Domeoids relay systems.  It should enable them to—“

            Chrys interrupted.  “I don’t understand a word of that Ana.  But Don will.”

            Ananda blinked and then a slow smile spread across her face.  “Oh.  _Oh_!  Thanks Chrys.  Thanks a lot.”

            Ana sped off, practically skipping as she left the roof.  Chrysalis’ smile was huge as she turned back towards the city view and caught a momentary glimpse of Raptarr rising into the darkening sky.

            “Soon,” she said out loud as she watched him disappear from view.  “Very soon.”


	29. JF29 Winds Of Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,397  
> Rated: R because they don't just talk.  
> Summary: Turmoil can come from inside as well as out.

            Nobody’s nerves were on edge and yet when he realized he was no longer alone on the rooftop it was due to the fact that he sensed a presence rather than actually hearing anyone.

            He guessed who was there before he had even turned around as there was only one being who could move so silently.  Leo stood several feet behind him, utterly still and observant.

            They regarded one another for several minutes, and then Nobody said, “I won’t ask how you knew where to find me.  I’m sure Raphael has been keeping you apprised of the situation.”

            “Actually my information comes from Don.  I told you before that Raph is not good at reporting on current events,” Leo said.

            Nobody lifted his mask to reveal his face, leaving the better part of the fabric bunched at the top of his head.  A slight smile played along the edges of his mouth as he said, “I guess that’s a not so subtle reminder that I was supposed to come talk to you again.”

            “Something like that.” Leo remained where he was, his face immobile and his posture rigid.

            “Are you healed enough to be climbing around on buildings, Leo?” Nobody asked, noting the bandages shining whitely against Leo’s skin.

            “If I’m careful,” Leo replied, not relaxing in the slightest.

            Nobody stepped closer, anxiety splashing over him like ice water.  Something in Leo’s tone and stance were shouting a warning to him.  He forgot his surveillance and even the reason for his being on this particular roof as he tried to read his friend.

            “Does anyone know you left the lair?” Nobody asked.

            Leo shook his head.  “They think I’m in my room.  There are things that need to be dealt with in a private manner and they can’t wait any longer.”

            “If it’s about us . . . .” Nobody started but stopped as Leo raised a palm in his direction.

            Leo looked at him coolly and asked, “Did you know about Michelangelo and Nano?”

            The question was completely out of left field as far as Nobody was concerned.  “What are you talking about?” Nobody asked.

            “Mikey and Nano, Nobody.  Did you know they are having an affair?” Leo’s voice was completely devoid of emotion.

            Nobody shook his head.  “No.  I haven’t talked much with the other Justice Force members as of late, Leo.  I’ve had too many other things on my mind and haven’t much felt like socializing.”

            Leo’s face didn’t relax and Nobody realized the Turtle was angry.

            “Mikey told me about it just tonight.  Apparently it’s been going on for quite a while.”  Leo’s mouth pressed into a solid line after he relayed the information.

            “Leo, I swear I knew nothing of this.  Since you were shot my entire focus has been to find the source of the poisoned bullets, get rid of them, and send someone to jail.  Between that and worrying about you, I haven’t had time to care about anything else.”  Nobody took another step closer to the ninja, trying to better see his face.

            Leo had positioned himself partly in shadow, whether on purpose or out of natural habit, Nobody wasn’t sure.  But he did notice how Leo shifted to keep the shadows between them.

            “Master Splinter told my brother he had to tell us about his affair, Nobody.  It was his duty because of a pledge we made to one another two years ago,” Leo said, his statement given in a precise, dispassionate fashion.

            This was the conversation they had begun in the lair while Leo was still in the infirmary.  The conversation interrupted by Donatello just as Nobody was about to bring out the facts surrounding the Turtles relationship.  At that time it was Nobody pushing the issue and Leo remaining cautious.

            There was no caution tonight.  Leo was as determined as when he was in a battle, his focus as sharp as the blades of his katanas.

            A sudden surge of fear warned Nobody that he didn’t want Leo to make this confession.

            “Leo, don’t . . . .” Nobody began but Leo was ruthless, his determination stronger than Nobody’s anxiety.

            “My brothers and I are lovers,” Leo said, bluntly laying the truth out between them.

            Nobody’s hands bunched at his sides, his nails digging into his palms so the pain would stop him from shaking.

            “It seems I didn’t want to know that,” Nobody finally managed to say.

            Leo’s head cocked to the side, his shadowed expression quizzical.  “Why?  You have made it clear to me there are reasons we can’t be together.  I’m returning the favor.”

            His friend was so cold, the statement flat and analytical.  Heart pounding, Nobody took another step towards Leo, and this time the Turtle held his ground.

            “What’s happened Leo?  I know we can’t have the relationship we would have liked, but I never meant for this to go so far as to destroy our friendship.”

            “I don’t see it that way,” Leo said.  “I think maybe we just redefine what our friendship is.  Mikey tried to use our relationship against me tonight, Nobody.  He wants my approval of his affair with Nano in spite of knowing how badly it will hurt Raph and Don.  Thinking of how they would feel made me reassess what I thought I wanted.”

            Leo’s mind played over his conversation with Don as well, the pain in Don’s gentle eyes haunting him.  He would sooner lose an arm than destroy the love his brother had for him.

            “So you will deny yourself happiness to hold onto your brothers?” Nobody asked, wondering why he was arguing this with Leo.  Isn’t this what he had been trying to make the ninja understand all along?

            Apparently Leo was confused by his reaction as well. “You were the one who pointed out to me that I have a family who cares deeply for me.  I acknowledge that and take it a step further; they also need me.”

            “Need you to do what, Leonardo?  Hold them together for eternity?”  Nobody couldn’t stop himself, as loudly as his intellect cried out for him to leave it alone he couldn’t seem to shout down the feelings that were rolling up from within him.

            “If that’s what it takes,” Leo said, quietly resolute.

            Nobody moved quickly towards Leo; the unexpectedness of his maneuver taking Leo by surprise.  Before the Turtle could sidestep, Nobody was pressed against him, hands gripping Leo’s belt tightly to ensure he wouldn’t pull away.

            “I can’t let you do that,” Nobody whispered hoarsely.

            Leo had to tip his head back to look up into Nobody’s face.  He had grown several inches in the last year, but was never going to match his friend’s height.  The bold, possessive look in Nobody’s eyes was uncharacteristic.

            “What are you doing?” Leo asked, his voice low.

            “I’m finding myself,” Nobody answered.  “You seem to have a gift for turning me into a walking mass of contradictions.”

            Leo’s breath hitched.  “We can’t have this Nobody, we can’t.  It’s not just about us.”

            “Don’t you think I know that?” Nobody asked, his head moving down even as he spoke.  “Leo, I can’t deny this any longer.”

            Before Leo could react, Nobody’s mouth was pressed against his.  Leo ordered himself to pull back and stop this kiss before it was out of control, but the warmth of Nobody’s lips and Nobody’s solid hold on his belt told him it was too late.

            Leo’s arms moved around Nobody’s waist and he pulled the man closer.  Their kiss deepened, mouths opening in unison and tongues meeting to explore each other.  Leo’s world tipped on its side as his responsibilities flashed before his mind’s eye, spiraled together, and disappeared behind him as he slipped further into the kiss.

            A loud gunshot rang out in the night, followed quickly by another.  Nobody jerked away from Leo, his eyes widening in sudden realization and fear.

            “Raphael!  Leo, he’s down there . . . .” Nobody yanked down his mask and dashed towards the roofs edge.

            Panic lent wings to Leo’s feet as he matched Nobody stride for stride, forgetting the stitches even as he felt them pull in his skin.  They had both forgotten about his brother in their own gratification and the guilt pushed him harder.

            _“Hold on Raph, hold on,”_ he chanted silently, racing the wind.

 


	30. JF30 Undeniable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 2,631  
> Rated: R  
> Summary: Hunter, prey - the line gets blurred. Action, violence, bloodshed, angst, power play-what more could a hot head want?

            “Damn it Tsunami, why the fuck ain’t ya’ across the street where ya’ said you’d be?  Nobody’s gonna look down in this alley and see your blue ass shining like a neon sign,” Raph said in a low undertone.

            “This alley is where the action is, Raphael.  And neither Nobody nor your friend Jones is likely to see me because of that net.” Tsunami pointed upwards and Raph’s eyes followed his finger.

            “Well, shit . . . .” Raph muttered with satisfaction.

            A dark net stretched between two buildings and effectively covered the alley where Tsunami had asked Raph to meet him.

            Tsunami nodded smugly.  “There’s only one reason to hang something like that; and it’s to avoid having your activities seen from above.  We may be staking out the wrong building.”

            “Yeah,” Raph agreed and looked around him.  The wall at the end of the alley held a large overhead door, wide enough for a truck to back into.  It looked as though it might be attached to the building they were watching; the one connected to the phone number Tsunami had ‘talked’ a guy out of.

            “Probably a good chance there’s a way into this other building from there,” Raph mused.

            “I would say whoever we’re after is the cautious type,” Tsunami said.

            “That kind of cautious means ya’ got something ta hide,” Raph said.  Turning on his heel he hugged the wall as he slowly made his way to the door, his eyes moving constantly.

            Tsunami followed just as stealthily and when Raph suddenly stopped, so did he.

            Crouching, Raph hissed and pointed.  A camera was mounted on one of the buildings and it was aimed at the door.

            “A little muddy water should solve that problem,” Tsunami said in a low tone.  He lifted his hand, palm up, and water from one of the numerous puddles rose into the air, formed into a thick, flat circle and covered the camera lens.

            “There,” Tsunami said, “all they’ll see is ‘rain’.”

            Raph was already moving again.  Near the door, he looked down and glanced significantly as Tsunami.  The sheen of a fresh patch of motor oil reflected the pale light from an overhead bulb.

            An almost invisible smaller door sat flush in the wall next to the overhead door.  Raph passed his hands around the edges and then paused as his fingers encountered a slight variation in the metal frame.

            “Got an alarm,” Raph said quietly.

            Again a slight twist of Tsunami’s fingers brought a lance point of water directly into the crevice.

            “We can open it now,” he told Raph.

            Pulling one of his sai, Raph jammed the point into the door’s lock and twisted with brute force.

            “Raphael . . . .” Tsunami started to warn him when the screech of rending metal echoed in the alley and the door snapped open.

            “What?” Raph asked, a smug expression on his face.

            Tsunami shook his head.  “Visible evidence?” he said sarcastically.

            Raph waved a dismissive hand towards him as he ducked through the opening.  Tsunami followed, pulling the battered door closed behind him.

            The space they entered was just large enough for a big delivery truck.  There was another door off to the left and the pair headed towards it.

            This door was not locked.  Raph and Tsunami stepped to either side of it and listened.  When they heard nothing, Tsunami grasped and turned the handle silently, opening the door enough to get a look inside.

            He signaled to Raph with an upturned thumb and slid through the opening, his body gliding with nearly the same fluidity as the water he commanded.  It was the first time Raph really noticed how Tsunami moved; it reminded him a little of Leo.

            This room was much larger, and scattered haphazardly within the space were large wooden crates, stacked no less than three high.

            Catching a toe hold on one of the bottom crates, Tsunami boosted himself atop a stack and pulled at its top.  Raph could see the muscles ripple across his back and shoulders as he wrenched the wood away from four inch nails seemingly without effort.

            Pushing aside some packing material, Tsunami found the crate to be stacked full of six inch square thick cardboard boxes.  Lifting one, he discovered it to be quite heavy.

            Tsunami pulled the lid open and lifted an eyebrow, releasing a low whistle.  Raph was looking up at him and Tsunami leaned over to toss the box to his ally.

            Raph caught it deftly and glanced inside.  Layered two deep were rows of specially made poisoned tipped bullets.

            As soon as he saw those bullets, Raph signaled frantically for Tsunami to get down.  As the blue mutant landed soundlessly next to him, Raph crouched down and Tsunami followed suit.

            “Ain’t nobody leaves this much dangerous ammo unguarded,” Raph hissed.

            “There’s a small room to the right, about fifty paces,” Tsunami told him.  “I didn’t see any signs of life.”

            Raph started in that direction, moving with a stealth that belied his size.  Once more Tsunami was reminded of a barely contained jungle cat, full of sinew and muscle; strength and speed.

            His heart was pounding and it had more to do with Raph’s proximity than any danger they could possibly be in.

            The small room appeared to be an addition to the space; it’s walls were plywood partway up, and glass panels from that point to the low ceiling.  The door had a frosted glass panel that was impossible to see through, so Raph edged along the plywood and carefully stood to look over the six foot plywood wall.

            The glass portion of the wall was cloudy with filth, but Raph could see enough to tell the room was empty of human life.  The room itself, however, piqued his interest.

            “Come on,” Raph urged Tsunami and then stepped through the door without waiting.

            “Damn,” Tsunami breathed out when he saw the interior.

            It looked like a narcotics laboratory.  Rows of tables stood in the middle of the floor, with boxes of unmodified bullets at one end of each.  Large glass containers and special ‘tips’ were lined across the table tops, along with gloves, eyeglasses and breathing masks.

            “Maybe we shouldn’t hang out in here too long,” Raph said, remembering Don’s words on the subject of cyanide.

            Tsunami was inspecting the objects on one table and looked over at him.  “The only cyanide here is what’s on the crated bullets in the large room, Raphael.  I’d say no one is here right now because they ran out of their chief ingredient.”

            “Yeah, whatever,” Raph replied.  “Let’s just call Nobody and tell him ta’ get the cavalry out here ta pick up this shit.”

            “What about the people who are manufacturing and distributing these nasty little items, hmm? They are not going to come back here if the place is swarming with police.”  Tsunami left off his explorations and walked back over to where Raph was standing.

            Raph’s arms were stubbornly crossed over his plastron.  “Let the cops dig up their own clues for once.  It ain’t our deal no more.”

            “It is to Nobody.” Tsunami cocked his head to study Raph.  “He needs to see this through for himself and for your brother Leonardo.  Possibly you haven’t noticed the guilt that has been riding him, but I have.”

            “Glad ta hear he’s feeling bad about almost getting my brother killed,” Raph snapped.

            “It’s a little more than that, or are you completely blind?”  Tsunami asked, knowing he was pushing Raph a little further than normal.

            He had the Turtle here; alone.  Tsunami felt compelled to press forward with more than just innuendo.

            Raph’s eyes narrowed.  “Ya’ know what?  I’m gonna pretend ya’ didn’t just say that.”

            “Fine, you do that,” Tsunami said.  “I would think you’d be more accepting now that Nano and Mikey have come out about their relationship.”

            “What the fuck did ya’ just say?”  Raph’s head jerked up, his hands clenching into fists as they dropped to his sides.

            “Oh hell,” Tsunami said with a low groan.  “You didn’t know, did you?  I thought everyone had been told.  Everyone at JF knows about the two of th . . . .”

            His sentence was cut off by a large green hand at his throat.  Raph’s lunge was unexpected and fast; his hand wrapped around Tsunami’s throat as he lifted the blue mutant and slammed him against a glass panel with enough force to send tiny radiating cracks along the surface.

            “That’s a lie!” Raph shouted in his face, voice hoarse with emotion.

            “Ccchh . . . Raph!”  Tsunami’s feet dangled off the floor and he saw stars from the blow to his head as it was smashed against the glass.

            Tsunami lifted a hand and closed it over Raph’s wrist; the other pushed against the Turtle’s carapace.  Both were rock solid, made stronger by the hot headed Turtle’s anger.

            Tsunami had often been told about Raph’s temper, he’d just never seen it.  There was something animalistic in the fierce fury that etched Raphael’s face; in the haze that covered his eyes and blocked out lucid thought.

            Raph’s grip tightened and would have crushed a lesser man’s windpipe.  Tsunami’s eyes rolled back as he fought to suck in oxygen.  In another moment, he was going to have to fight back; and once he did, all chances of any kind of relationship with Raph were gone.

            “I’m . . . ccchh . . . not . . . .” Tsunami struggled to get words out.

            “Mikey ain’t doing it with no robot!  You’re making that shit up!” Raph roared, his arm trembling in his anger.

            The room was starting to spin and Tsunami saw no choice but to levitate several small bottles of water that had been left lying in a tub.  He could probably fling them at the back of Raph’s skull with enough force to daze the Turtle and force him to let go.

            He hesitated.  Even on the verge of passing out from lack of oxygen, he was thrilled at Raph’s nearness; even by his rough, deadly touch.  Raph’s plastron rose and fell with each rasping breath and Tsunami felt a stirring of arousal.

            _Erotic asphyxiation_.  The words ran through his head as he hung there, letting Raphael slowly squeeze the life out of him.

            The glass next to his head suddenly shattered and Raph flung himself backwards, bringing Tsunami with him.

            His throat free of that tight grip, Tsunami lay curled and shaking on the floor gasping as he sucked in lungful’s of much needed air.  When the buzz in his head faded, he heard gunfire and realized that Raph had hurled the both of them behind a large metal freezer.

            Blinking, he saw Raph’s sais were in his hands and the Turtles eyes were directed towards the warehouse.

            Coughing, Tsunami managed to sit up.  “What . . . ?” he croaked out.

            “We got company, that’s what,” Raph growled at him.  “Ya’ still alive?”

            “Not for your lack of trying,” Tsunami shot back, his cockiness returning.

            “’S good then, ‘cause I might have ta shove ya’ in front of a bullet so I can get the fuck out of here,” Raph told him.

            “It’s nice to be needed.”  Tsunami edged forward and risked a peek over the freezer.  He could see at least half a dozen heavily armed men coming towards their hiding place.

            “I got four shuriken on me,” Raph told him, “and a couple of small blades.  That and my sais’ll take down a few of them.”

            “I applaud your mathematics, Raph, but taking down a ‘few’ isn’t quite going to get us out of here.”  Tsunami looked up, noting the water pipes which ran along the ceiling.

            Raph followed his gaze.  “Ya’ suppose there’s any water in ‘em?” he asked.

            Tsunami’s face was concentrated, his blue eyes wide and dark.  “There’s water in them,” he said.

            “Then let’s get some of it out.” Raph flipped one of his sai upward, seemingly without aiming, and struck the head of one of the emergency sprinklers dead on.  The force of the throw snapped the protruding metal off and water began to spray out in a hard rush.

            Tsunami’s hand flicked upwards and the water immediately formed into solid, grapefruit sized balls.  Holding them in place with one upraised arm, he lifted the other and swiftly gestured towards the nearest attacker.

            A whirling ball flew through the air and struck the man right in his face.

            The wet smack resounded throughout the warehouse and the man went down hard.  His foot twitched once and then he was motionless.

            Quickly, Tsunami directed two more of his missiles at approaching attackers.  Twice more his unerring aim knocked would be assassins unconscious.

            The other men began to duck for cover, diving behind crates or running towards the door.  Tsunami’s water ball connected with the back of one man’s head and drove him face first into the side of the building.  A thin line of blood traced the wall as he slid down and stayed down.

            Everything went silent, save for the rush of water and their own heavy breathing.

            Then a bullet whined overhead and smashed the wall behind them.

            “I hope that doesn’t have a cyanide tip,” Tsunami said, trying to locate a target.

            Raph was next to him, shoulder to shoulder.  “Just don’t let it get on your skin.  Don said they did something to modify the chemical base, or some shit like that.  It won’t get in your lungs unless it’s super-heated.”

            “That’s reassuring,” Tsunami said sarcastically, launching a water ball.  It struck a crate and peeled loose a chunk of wood, earning them a shriek from the man hiding behind it as splinters embedded themselves in his face.

            “Can’t ya’ just launch a bunch at once?” Raph asked impatiently.

            “If I want to give them a bath,” Tsunami answered.  “If I want to do some damage, I have to hit them.  I can’t hit what I can’t see.”

            “Why the fuck didn’t ya’ say so?” Raph growled and jumped up.

            Waving his arms, he yelled, “Hey, fuck heads, I’m over here.”

            Several men stepped out and fired at him.  Tsunami launched his water missiles simultaneously and struck his targets.  Fortunately, they missed theirs.

            Raph flung himself down behind the freezer, his carapace making the metal clang.  

            Laughing, Raph said, “I can’t believe they fucking fell for that.”

            Tsunami snapped at him, “I didn’t mean for you to take chances.  Were you going to deflect the bullets with your shell?”

            Raph’s eyes gleamed, his grin wide as he said, “Hey, just ‘cause I got a shell don’t mean it’s bulletproof.    What do ya’ wanna do, lay on the floor behind this metal box all night?”

            Shaking his head, Tsunami said, “You really are a psychopath.”

            “Yeah.” Raph flipped over onto his knees and looked over the freezer.  Another shot rang out and he ducked.  “Shit.  Standoff.  Hey, why don’t ya’ jump out this time?”

            “Funny,” Tsunami said.  “Looks and a sense of humor.  We need to work on that temper though.”

            The smile faded from Raph’s face.  “What ya’ said, ‘bout Mikey and Nano.  Ya’ wasn’t shitting me?”

            Tsunami glanced at him.  “No.  I’m sorry, I really thought you knew.”

            Raph passed a rough hand over his head and cleared his throat.  “Shouldn’t have tried ta kill ya’.”

            Tsunami took that as an apology.  “Forgotten.”

            “I’m gonna kill Mikey instead,” Raph said, shifting to get more comfortable.  “If we ever get the fuck out of here,” he added.

            That’s when they heard a loud cry, followed by a crashing sound, a gunshot and another pained yell.

 _“RAPHAEL!”_ The call was loud, deep and undeniable.

            It was Leo.


	31. JF31 Angel Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,732  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Fire, explosions, poison gas and missing brothers.

            Don snatched open his ringing shell cell.  “Hel . . . .”

            _“Don, get yer butt over here.”_  Casey’s frantic voice interrupted his greeting.

            “Casey?  Casey, what’s wrong?” Don asked rapidly.

            _“Raph disappeared ta go investigate something a half hour ago and I just heard gunfire,”_ Casey’s voice was breathless, as though he were running.

            Don was moving quickly as well.  “Are you still at the warehouse?”

            _“Yeah, hurry up will . . . shit!”_ Casey cursed into the phone.

            Don’s hand froze over his duffel.  Gripping the cell hard, he nearly shouted, “What?”

            _“I was on my way ta get Nobody, but he’s already moving.  Leo’s with him,”_ Casey said.

            Don was at the lab door, beckoning to a wide eyed Mikey.  “He can’t be.  He’s in his room.”

            When Mikey heard those words he spun around and dashed towards Leo’s bedroom.

            _“I know what I fuckin’ saw Don.  Leo and Nobody just jumped off the roof on the other side of the street from me.”_

            Mikey came running back, eyes wide as he shook his head to let Don know that Leo’s room was empty.

            “Mikey and I are on our way,” Don told Casey, sliding the strap of his bag over his head.

            _“Hurry it up will ya’?  I don’t like this . . . Damn!”_ Another exclamation preceded a loud bang.

            Don was running fast, Mikey matching him step for step.  “Casey!” Don yelled.

            _“Man, the building’s on fire!  Something blew up!  I gotta find Raph!”_ Casey shouted and then the phone went dead.

==========================

            “Don!  Mikey!”

            Don skid to a stop so quickly Michelangelo almost slammed into him.  Turning, he spotted Leo across the street from the burning warehouse.  The fire wasn’t visible, but smoke was; rolling from broken windows it was only slightly dissipated by gusty winds.

            The pair dashed towards their brother.  Leo stood next to Nobody, the latter’s arms wrapped around him.

            For just a moment, Don wondered how they could be so openly intimate and then he realized Nobody wasn’t hugging Leo, he was holding him back.

            “Where’s Raph?” Don immediately asked.

            Leo nodded towards the building.  “He just ran back inside.  Something happened to Tsunami while they were coming out and now Raph’s trying to find him.”

            Don dropped his bag on the ground and frantically delved into its recesses.  “What the shell is he thinking?  I told him about heated cyanide  . . .” Don muttered, anxiety in his voice.

            “Leo, dude, your leg,” Mikey exclaimed, rushing to his brother’s side.

            Fresh blood caked the inside of Leo’s thigh, running in rivulets down his calf and foot.

            “He pulled the stitches,” Nobody said hoarsely, not releasing his grip on Leo even as Mikey stooped to unwrap the soaked bandage.

            Don came up with three gas masks and quickly set one over his face.  “Stay here,” he ordered the others.  “No one else go into that building.  I’ll grab Raph and Tsunami and get them out.  The oxygen canisters hold thirty minutes of air; if we’re not out by then, don’t come in for us.”

            “Don, no,” Leo groaned, trying to pull away from Nobody.

            Don turned and gave the dark vigilante a hard look.  “Don’t let anyone else go in there, do you hear me?”

            “Yes, Donatello.  I understand,” Nobody responded, his grip on Leo tightening.

            “Mikey, there are fresh bandages in my bag,” Don called back as he darted across the street.

            Placing the back of his hand against the only visible door, Don found it to be cool.  He did the same to the door handle, taking no chances, and when he found that safe to touch, he pulled the door open and stepped inside.

            The warehouse was pitch black; smoke hanging in thick clouds combined with a moonless night to give the space almost total darkness.  Don fished out his small flashlight and flicked it on, only to find most of the light reflected off the smoke and back into his own eyes.

            “Raphael!” he called, voice muffled slightly by the mask.  Listening intently, he heard nothing other than the occasional pop of something heated to the breaking point.

            He stepped forward carefully, looking for obstructions, and realized he was walking in ankle deep water.  Playing his light around, he saw he was in a small entryway and another door a little ahead of him stood open, leading further into the warehouse.

            Don approached the opening cautiously, wary of fire or traps and encountered neither.  The room was hot and stifling; the water on the floor in this much larger space was not so deep.

            He didn’t have the time to be tentative.  Lifting his head skyward, he inflated his lungs and bellowed at the top of his voice, “RAPHAEL!”

            No answering cry, no moan, no sound at all.  More than a little frightened now, Don began to move faster, playing his light around the floor as he looked for a fallen brother.

            Don careened into what was left of a stack of crates and heard a number of small metal objects bounce onto the floor.  Stooping, he picked up a handful and turned his flashlight on them.

            Bullets.  Cyanide tipped bullets.

            He set them down quickly, happy that the water on the floor had cushioned their fall enough to prevent the tips from breaking open.  He moved hurriedly away from the area, now noticing more stacked crates and guessing they all contained the deadly merchandise.

            Everything was scorched by the beginnings of a fire; a big one by the looks of the gaping holes in many of the large wooden boxes.  The overhead sprinkler system, what he could see of it, just didn’t look strong enough to have doused a fire of the size indicated by the aftermath.

            A small pocket of his brain chewed at that little mystery while his main focus continued to be his brother.  He tried calling again, several times in a row but once the echo of his voice faded, silence fell.

            “Oh, damn Raph, where are you?” Don asked under his breath as he moved towards the back of the warehouse and closer to what appeared to be the remains of an interior wall.

            Just as he reached a space covered in broken glass, Don heard a sound.  Something like a low hiss, followed by a snap and he moved towards it before his brain registered the meanings of those noises.

            Turning to run, Don tripped over some broken paneling partially hidden by the water and fell just as an explosion ripped through the room to his rear sending a gigantic wall of flame rolling directly towards him.

            Throwing himself face down, Don pushed as much of himself into the standing water as he could.  He felt the flames pass over his carapace, flicking the exposed skin on the backs of his legs, arms, neck and head.  A few moments of intense pain, and then the fire ball was gone.

            Pulling himself up onto his hip, Don groaned and started to shake, reaction setting in quickly as the pain of his burns overcame him.  He willed himself to stand, knowing he had to get out of the building.  The other masks had been lost in his fall, and his own was nearly out of oxygen.

            Praying that Raph and Tsunami had gotten out on their own, he teetered for a moment on throbbing legs before taking a step.

            One step, and then a pile of wooden crates gave way and toppled over on him.

==========================

            Raptarr saw the smoke as he winged his way across the night sky.  Turning to investigate, he was close when he saw the lights of a motorcycle bounce to a stop across from the building that appeared to be on fire.

            Swooping lower, he saw Nobody with two of the Turtles and Casey Jones.  Curious now, he dipped low over the building, banking to come back around and join his friends in the street below.

            As he looked down through a partially broken skylight, Raptarr saw Donatello just a split second before the crates collapsed on top of him.

            Pulling his wings in tight, Raptarr dove through the skylight, breaking off additional chunks of the fire fused glass.  With a loud roar, he grabbed the crates and began throwing them aside, frantically digging through debris to reach his friend.

            Don lay face down in a pool of water and Raptarr swiftly pulled him up, afraid he would drown.  He saw the gas mask as Don’s head came back and knew he’d better get them both out before he did anything else.

            Lifting the Turtle as carefully and quickly as possible, Raptarr flew back up through the skylight and didn’t stop until he had put several other buildings between them and the warehouse.

            Settling on a quiet rooftop, he set Don down gently and proceeded to check him for injuries.  Don’s eyes were still closed; the Turtle unconscious but breathing easily, and Raptarr removed the useless oxygen mask.

            It was as he removed the strap from the back of Don’s neck that he saw the burns.

            “Don,” Raptarr moaned in a low voice, turning his friend onto his side and finding the red, blistered skin left behind by a close brush with fire.

            Donatello answered his moan with one of his own, and Raptarr leaned over him, trying not to let his burned skin touch the rooftop again.

            Don’s eyes cracked open, blinked and opened a bit wider.  Trying to focus past the intense pain of his burns, he turned his head towards the sky and saw a shadow lean over him.

            “Don,” a familiar voice called him, the sound soft and soothing enough to push away some of the hurt.

            He blinked again and as his vision cleared, he found the most angelic blue eyes he’d ever seen peering down at him.

            “ _Angel eyes_. . . .” he managed to whisper before passing out again.

            Raptarr’s heart jumped into his throat, his pulse racing at Don’s words.  Desperate now to save his friend, Raptarr forgot about Don’s family as he once more lifted the Turtle into his arms and raced skyward.

            He was taking Don to his Avian home.  The physicians there could repair the damage to Don’s body and make him whole again.

            Then Raptarr could set about making Don his own.

 


	32. JF32 Racing Destiny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 2,195  
> Rated: PG-13 language and violence  
> Summary: Will Nobody find that the bond between two brothers might be unbreakable?

            “Going to meet Raph and Nobody again?” April asked.

            “Yep.”  Casey set his mask on top of his head and checked his bag.

            “Still playing bodyguard to the detective?”  April leaned against the bedroom doorframe, her arms crossed.

            “Somethin’ like that.”  Casey pulled on the fingerless leather gloves April had given him.  She’d gotten tired of fixing his busted knuckles and this was her way of ensuring he didn’t completely destroy his hands.  He had to admit he liked them; he thought they made him look kind of tough.

            Watching him closely, she said, “Sounds like fun.”

            “Could be,” he replied.

            “So what’s wrong?” April asked as she studied his movements.

            Casey looked up.  “Huh?  Nothin’,” he said while shaking his head.

            “Casey Jones.”  April stood up straight, hands on her hips.  “I know you.  You’re dragging your feet.  If this were your usual night out with Raph you’d have been out the window already.”

            Casey shrugged and then fidgeted under her scrutiny.  She knew him all right; that was one of the things he loved about her.  She knew him and didn’t try to change him.  He liked that he could share everything with her and that he didn’t have to hide things or keep secrets.

            He had a big one and it was eating him alive.

            “April, if I tell ya’ somethin’ ya’ gotta promise ta keep it ta yourself,” Casey said.

            Stepping further into the room, April asked, “Something about Raph?”

            “Sorta,” he replied.

            “Something about the guys?” she prompted, now worried.

            Casey nodded.  “Ya’ remember that night Leo got shot?”

            April grimaced.  “Yes.  That was the night Raph wanted you to help him follow Leo.  Does this have something to do with Leo?”

            Casey brought a hand up to rub the back of his neck, clearly agitated.  “Yeah.  I think I saw something an’ I been keeping my mouth shut about it ‘cause it ain’t really my business, but Raph bein’ my friend an’ all . . . .”

            Exasperated, April blurted, “Just spill it Casey.”

            “I think I saw Nobody kissing Leo.”  Casey spoke fast and then his lips snapped shut.

            April’s jaw dropped.  It took a few seconds to process what Casey had said, and then she repeated, “You _think_ you saw Nobody kissing Leo?”

            “Well, yeah,” Casey said.  “I mean, it was dark and they were a few buildings away but I had a clear line of sight.  The thing is April, even if I ain’t sure about that, I know damn well what I saw when Leo took sick from that poison.  Nobody was holding his fuckin’ hand.  He was trying ta hide it, but that I know I saw.”

            “So you think . . . what do you think?”  April was stunned and trying to process the information.

            “What do I think?  I think Leo’s been havin’ a fling with Nobody and hidin’ it from his brothers.  I think Raph’s startin’ ta catch on and that’s why he wanted ta follow Leo.”

            “That’s not like Leo.  The guys have a commitment to each other and Leo is the last Turtle to ever break a promise.  You’ve got to be mistaken,” April said.

            “I know what I saw,” Casey said stubbornly.  “That shit’ll just tear Raph apart.  Ya’ know how he is ‘bout his brothers, especially Leo.”

            “Are you going to say anything?” April wanted to know.

            Casey jerked like he’d been shot.  “No,” he said sharply, “and neither are ya’.  Geez April, ya’ know what happens ta the guy that brings the bad news.  They’ll work it out like they always do and then all of them’ll be mad at me.”

            “Okay, Casey.  You’re probably right.”  April moved so she was pressed against him, one hand circling his neck.  Casey wrapped his arms around her slender waist and gave her a pained smile.

            “Ya’ think so?” he asked, needing some assurance.

            “I love the guys like brothers, but I’ve learned not to interfere in their love lives.”  She tilted her head back to catch Casey’s eyes.  “But you make sure you’re there if Raph needs to talk, okay?  Or even if you think he does.  You know how he gets if he can’t talk to someone about what he’s feeling.”

            “Shit yeah I do, babe,” Casey said emphatically, lowering his head to kiss her.

            “And don’t call me babe,” she whispered just as their lips touched.

=========================

            Leo felt as though he were racing destiny as he ran the rooftop, the sound of gunshots echoing in his ears.  Keeping her away from his younger brother was one of the biggest battles in his life; Raph seemed inured to fate, accepting that his habits would kill him.  Leo was not.

            His leap to a fire escape and the next lower one until he reached the alley was closely followed by Nobody, who was spurred on by his own sense of urgency.

            As he hit the ground, Leo felt something snap at the sight of his injury and realized he had ripped loose some stitches.  Pushing that to the back of his mind he ran towards the building Nobody had been watching when the sound of a gunshot pulled Leo up short.

            Nobody looked at him. “That came from over there,” he said, pointing to the next building over.

            Not bothering with an answer, Leo turned and ran, searching for a way inside as he drew closer.

            Leo looked up at the row of louvered windows a good eight feet off the ground.  Since there was no door, those would have to be his way inside.

            Bunching his legs, Leo leaped high and landed solidly on a window sill.  Another sharp pain in his thigh told him he’d done more damage to the stitches.  With a strong grip on the metal window frame, he leaned down and caught Nobody’s outstretched hand, pulling the vigilante onto the window sill next to him.

            A flash of steel and Leo had cut away the louvers, letting the aluminum fall to the ground with a light crash.  He wasn’t worried about noise; he was more interested in speed.

            Nobody slammed his shoulder into the glass on the window and the force not only broke the glass, it snapped the lock and the entire window flew up.  A gunshot from inside drove them; Leo’s carapace making the squeeze through the window tight.

            Dropping into a warehouse full of crates, the first thing Leo saw was a gunman.  The man’s back was turned to him, his focus on something farther inside the room.

            Knowing that something was probably his brother, Leo leaped forward and delivered a hard blow with the side of his fist to the man’s neck.  With a moan, the man dropped to the floor.

            Turning his head, Leo saw Nobody nod at him and then signal his intent to veer left.  Leo pointed to himself, and then to the right and the pair separated.

            Seconds later he heard a man cry out and knew Nobody had taken care of another gunman.  The sound of heavy breathing drew him further to his right, and he saw a man standing on a stack of crates, prying loose the top of one with a small crowbar.  It crashed to the floor and he dropped the tool as he burrowed inside the crate and then pulled out a small box.

            He leaped to the floor without seeing Leo, his attention focused on the small box and the gun in his hand.

            Leo rushed him, his katanas out.  The man looked up and yelled, pointing the gun towards Leo’s middle and pulling the trigger.  Nothing happened as Leo’s blade sliced through the gun barrel and then he spun on his heel and smacked the back of the man’s head with the hilt of his sword.

            As he fell the box slipped from his hand and it broke open.  A row of cyanide tipped bullets spilled out of the box onto the floor.

            A sound pulled Leo’s head up just in time to see another gunman aiming at him.  Leo dove behind the stack of crates as the man shot, and Leo heard the bullet hit the crate next to his head.

            Then the man yowled in pain and Leo peeked around the edge of the crate to see Nobody standing over the gunman’s crumpled form.

            It was then that Leo thought he heard the low rumble of Raph’s voice coming from in front of him.  He darted forward and ducked behind another crate, listening intently and was positive he heard the word ‘fuck’ in Raph’s unmistakable accent.

            Drawing a deep breath, he shouted, “ _RAPHAEL_!”

            “Yo!  Over here bro’!” Raph called back, his voice coming from inside a room separated from the rest of the space by plywood and glass.

            “Are you okay?” Leo asked.

            “Oh shit, yeah, doing great.  Me and Tsunami were just having a picnic,” Raph answered sarcastically.

            “Tsunami?” Nobody called as he joined Leo behind the crate.

            “Alas, I am likewise trapped by circumstances and my own insatiable curiosity.  You fellows might want to watch what you’re hiding behind, those crates are full of cyanide bullets,” Tsunami warned.

            Before anyone could answer, a man stepped from behind a crate and tossed a flaming missile through the glass partition of Raph’s room.  The burning cloth stuffed into the bottle finally touched its liquid contents and it exploded as it hit the ground.

            “Shit!”  They heard Raph shout as the spray of flammable liquid spread the fire in a wide pattern.

            “Raph!” Leo started forward and Nobody grabbed his arm just as another gunman whipped around a corner and fired a shot at them.

            Digging into his belt, Leo yanked out a shuriken and let it fly.  His aim was true; the sharp metal sank into the man’s hand and he dropped his gun and then Leo was on him.

            Another man jumped out with a Molotov cocktail and threw it after the first.  Leo watched it spin in the air, helpless to stop it.  He heard Nobody shout, saw the dark man pull out his grappling hook in a desperate attempt to catch the bottle mid-flight.

            And then a wall of water blew out the plywood partition, shattering glass in all directions and enveloping the bottle, snuffing out its flame before crashing to the floor in a mini-tidal wave, rolling outwards until it filled several smaller rooms and then settled.

            Smoke from the first fire spiraled into the air, rising high and floating out through open windows.

            Leo heard a cough that sounded like Raph’s.  “Raph, you still in one piece?”

            “Fine, peachy.  Just swallowed a bucket of rancid water is all,” Raph grumbled.

            Tsunami’s cocky laugh followed that statement.  “Would you rather suck down a little water or be burnt to a crisp?” he asked facetiously.

            “Fuck you,” Raph’s standard comeback told Leo his brother was okay.

            “Leo,” Nobody’s warning was low.  They both heard the sound of feet sloshing through water.

            Apparently Raph had heard it too.  “More trouble bro’,” he called to Leo.

            “Can you get out of there?” Leo asked, shifting his position to locate the new danger.

            Before Raph could answer, a line of men jumped out from behind crates, each holding a flaming bottle.

            “The boss said burn it; burn all of it and these guys too,” one man shouted and tossed his bottle at a stack of crates.

            His lead was followed by the others and the warehouse was suddenly lit by arcs of light flying in all directions.

            Another wall of water lifted from the pool on the ground and deflected the bottles aimed for Raph’s room.  This time it stayed up; a protective shield as fire began to catch and burn on the multitude of flammable materials scattered throughout the warehouse.

            “Get out!” the leader ordered his men as soon as their arsenal was depleted.

            Leo watched them depart as quickly as they’d come.  Fire burned brightly all around them; stacks of crates ablaze throughout the warehouse.

            “Raph!” Leo shouted as he felt the heat rise.

            “Tsunami’s holding the fire off of us!” Raph shouted back.  “Get outta here Leo.  We’re right behind ya’.”

            Leo hesitated, not wanting to leave until he saw his brother escape the inferno.  A strong hand on his arm pulled his head around.

            “Leo, we have to go.  Tsunami can push the fire back with his water shield; they’ll be fine.  We won’t if we don’t leave now.  Once that fire burns down to the cyanide, the resultant gas will kill anything alive in here.”

            Leo tugged against Nobody’s hand, but his friend held firm.  “You shouldn’t have let Raph come in here,” Leo said in an accusing tone.  “I can’t leave my brother.”

            “Tsunami will get him out,” Nobody insisted.  “Please, Leo.  Trust me.”

            Leo looked at the water shield moving slowly across the warehouse.  He thought of the duplicity of Mikey with Nano and of Raphael trapped in a building he was helping Nobody stake out.

            He wanted to trust Nobody; he desperately needed to trust him.

            Leo just didn’t know if he could anymore.


	33. JF33 Don't Call Me Tsu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,157  
> Rated: R  
> Summary: Trapped amidst fire and explosions, Raph and Tsunami find common ground.

            “You know,” Tsunami began as he held up their water shield, “I really dislike fire.”

            Raph walked just behind him, almost in his footsteps as they slowly made their way out of the cyanide processing room.  Moving into the warehouse took them through the midst of the heaviest flames; crates ablaze from the liquid gasoline inside a multitude of Molotov cocktails.

            “Yeah,” Raph responded, “I ain’t so fond of it myself.”

            Raph’s deep voice next to his ear sent a shiver down Tsunami’s back.  Despite the life threatening danger of their current situation, he could not help but be turned on by the large Turtle’s proximity.

            Perhaps that very fact was one of the reasons he couldn’t stop thinking about Raphael in terms of a potential partner.  Tsunami liked excitement; he thrived on danger and adrenaline.  Raph was the epitome of all of those things.

            He had to remind himself to focus as his thoughts began to drift on to Raphael’s other alluring attributes; mostly physical.  Too many times in the past week he’d had to let the shadows of an alley help hide the beginnings of a woody; this predicament was a totally inappropriate situation in which to be sporting a hard on.

            “Ya’ know, we probably coulda found a way out of that back room that wouldn’t have taken us out here in the middle of an inferno,” Raph commented blithely, as though they weren’t surrounded by a wall of flame.

            “Really, Raphael, your powers of observation astound me,” Tsunami told him.  “Didn’t you note the large containment cooler in the back corner?  The one with the gas line running to it?”

            Raph snorted.  “Well fuck, Tsu, while ya’ was sightseeing I was busy trying ta get us the fuck outta this building.”

            “Fine, I’m just reminding you that heat and natural gas do not mix,” Tsunami retorted, and then realized what Raph had called him.  “Don’t call me Tsu.”

            Raph grinned wickedly.  “Why not?  I kinda like the name; it seems ta match your girly banter.”

            “If you are truly determined to begin a war of words with me, Raphael, please consider the infinite number of pet names I could give you,” Tsunami said.

            “Watch your shield,” Raph growled.

            The fire was turning the liquid to steam as it licked the water.  Tsunami pulled more water from the warehouse floor to replenish their protective barrier.

            “If those pipes were still connected to the city water supply this wouldn’t be an issue,” Tsunami remarked.  “Instead I am left to play with the residual contents leftover from when the water was shut off.”

            Raph placed a hand on his shoulder, drawing closer as the heat from the flames made his backside uncomfortable.

            “I can still taste that ‘residual’,” he complained.

            Tsunami smiled.  Let Raph grumble; if Tsunami hadn’t pulled every bit of remaining water from the pipes and exploded it around them, they both would be cooked remains lying on the floor of the cyanide processing room.

            “As much as I want to escape this little slice of paradise Raphael, I find I must consider a way to put out these flames,” Tsunami told him.

            “What the fuck are ya’ talking about?” Raph asked.

            “If the flames manage to destroy the capsules containing the cyanide on those bullets, this entire area will become toxic.  Perhaps your brother Donatello could tell you exactly how far the fumes could travel; I cannot.”

            “Well, shit,” Raph said.

            Tsunami nodded.  “Not original, but quite apropos.”

            “I’m open ta ideas,” Raph said.

            Tsunami looked around, attempting to determine the volume of water remaining on the warehouse floor.

            “I think there’s enough,” he mused aloud.

            Raph grunted impatiently.  “Enough what?”

            “Water.  On the floor.  Apparently this building sits lower than the street and we haven’t lost any to run off,” Tsunami informed him.

            “Marvelous,” Raph bit out sarcastically.  “And what the fuck good does that do us?”

            Tsunami glanced over his shoulder at Raph.  “When we reach the door to the room we first came through, I’m going to lift all the remaining water up to the ceiling and release it over the fire.  That includes our water shield; so before I do anything, please make sure the room behind us isn’t on fire.”

            “And if it is?” Raph asked.

            “Then I’m going to have to divide my arsenal and hope there’s enough water to do both jobs,” Tsunami answered without his usual cockiness.

            Raph got a quick glimpse of Tsunami’s face before he turned back to his water shield.  Tsunami looked strained, the effort of holding back a wall of fire beginning to tell.

            “Ya’ get us outta here with our skins, Tsu, and I’ll buy  ya’ a beer,” Raph offered, feeling a sudden kinship with the blue mutant.

            “Make that a nice glass of chilled wine, or even a cognac, and you have a deal,” Tsunami said, then added, “But don’t call me Tsu.”

            They reached the door to the garage and Raph touched the back of his hand to the wood.  It was cool, as was the handle when he tested it.  Opening it slowly, his face was touched by fresh air and he pushed it all the way back.

            “Rooms clear,” Raph announced.

            “Good,” Tsunami backed to just inside the doorframe and stopped.  “Raphael, run.  The smoke and steam which will result from my dousing these flames will be quite dangerous.  You need to run now.”

            “Not without ya’.  I can hold my breath until ya’ get done,” Raph argued stubbornly.

            “No, my friend.  Don’t argue this point.  I can hold back enough water to cover my body in a protective layer and get out unharmed.  I cannot do the same for you; the energy it requires to hold this much water up is fast leaving me.  Just go, I’ll be right behind you,” Tsunami said.

            Raph hesitated.  It went against his grain to leave anyone else to bring up the rear in a fight; that was his position and relinquishing it, even to Tsunami, was a difficult thing.

            “Ya’ better fucking be on my ass when I turn around ta look, Tsu,” Raph barked at him as he started to move away.

            “With that kind of offer, how could I not?” Tsunami replied, some of his cockiness returning.  He called to Raph’s retreating shell, “Stop calling me Tsu!”

            Raph’s deep laugh bounced back at him as Tsunami turned and lifted the water from the warehouse floor.  With every bit of his remaining strength, he moved the water through and over the flames, dousing some of the inferno as it rose.

            Then with a quick twist of his wrist, the water dropped.

            Tsunami pulled a bit of water back to himself, intent on creating his protective layer as black rolling smoke rushed towards him.

            It was the last thing he remembered as something struck him a terrific blow on the back of his head.


	34. JF34 Bitter Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,275  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Warriors always live with the possibility of loss. A bit of a darker episode.

            Raph stumbled out of the warehouse garage just ahead of a large plume of smoke.  Turning to locate Tsunami, he was struck by a heavy cloud of soot and began choking, his eyes smarting from the heat.

            “Tsunami!” he shouted into the smoke, and then leaned over as he yielded to a fit of coughing.

            Anxiously awaiting the appearance of his brother, Leonardo heard Raph’s voice and ran around the building to the alley where he saw Raph surrounded by smoke.

            “Raph!” Leo yelled at the sight of his brother.

            “Leo!” Raph turned away from the smoke cloud and saw his older brother limp towards him.  The quick moment of relief was swallowed by concern as he turned back towards the garage.

            “Fuck!” Raph shouted as he saw flames lick out around the edges of the door frame.

            “Where’s Tsunami?” Nobody raced towards them and slid to a stop next to Leo.

            “He’s inside!” Raph started back to the door and Leo grabbed his arm in a solid, tight grip.

            “Wait,” Leo told him, pulling his brother away from the flames.

            Raph tried to yank his arm loose.  “Didn’t ya’ hear me?  Tsunami was supposed ta be right behind me.  That room wasn’t on fire when we got there.  Something fucking happened to him,” Raph said through gritted teeth.  “I gotta go back in there.  He was wearing a water shield but I don’t know how long that’ll last.”

            Leo didn’t relinquish his hold on Raph’s arm, instead turning to Nobody.

            “His communicator?” Leo asked.

            Nobody already had his communication device in his hand.  “Tsunami!  Tsunami can you hear me?”

            A blast of static burst from the small device and nothing else.  “Tsunami, damn it!  Where are you?”  Nobody tried again, running his finger over the amplifier but was once more rewarded with nothing but static.

            Looking up, Nobody told Leo, “This must be why they use a land line; wireless devices aren’t any good here.”

            “I’m going back in,” Raph announced with determination.

            “Not through that door,” Leo told him firmly.  Raph once more pulled against Leo’s restricting hand, becoming angrier with each passing minute.

            “ _Not through that door_ ,” Leo repeated in his leader’s voice.  Raph head snapped around and he stared at him.

            “Go around to the front; to the part of the building that isn’t on fire anymore,” Leo said purposefully.

            He let go of Raph’s arm and moved quickly to the head of the alley, with Raph and Nobody following.

            Leading the way, Leo took them to a door that fronted onto the street.

            “This should take us into the warehouse,” he said, checking the door for heat.

            Raph stepped in front of him.  “What’s this ‘us’ shit?  I’m going in alone.”

            “Raphael . . . . “ Leo began.

            Raph placed a palm against Leo’s plastron and told him, “Not this time, Fearless.  I know where ta look for him and ya’ don’t.  Ain’t no telling what kinda damage that fire did and I gotta be able ta move fast.”  He glanced at Leo’s thigh significantly.

            Leo felt the pain in his leg from the stitches he’d destroyed; he could feel the wet slide of blood slicking his thigh.

            “I’ll go with him,” Nobody stepped up but Raph stopped him with a shake of his head.

            “No, I don’t wanna think about anybody else being in there.  I ain’t got time ta argue this point with the two of ya’.  Ya’ wanna be useful, Nobody?  Keep Leo the fuck outta here.”

            Raph grabbed the handle and yanked the door open.  The acrid smell of burnt wood and rubber hit them.  Stepping inside he turned back and said, “If I ain’t out in twenty minutes, call the cavalry.”

            The closing door blocked off their view of his cocky grin.

            Leo leaned forward and placed his forehead and one hand against the door.  Nobody watched him; Leo’s eyes were closed as if in silent prayer.

            In a minute, Leo was upright again and leading the way across the street.

            “We can watch that door and the alley entrance to the garage from here,” he explained, taking up a position in the dark areaway of a rundown factory.

            “He’ll be fine,” Nobody assured Leo, seeing the grim expression on his friends face.

            “He could have been killed; he could still die,” Leo pushed out, his voice harsh.

            “No.”  Nobody grabbed Leo’s shoulders and faced him.  “No.  You can’t think that way.”

            “Ten minutes is all I’m giving him, then I go in,” Leo said with determination.

            “Leo, be reasonable,” Nobody pleaded.

            “Ten minutes,” Leo repeated and then turned a cold look on Nobody.  “Don’t interfere.”

            Leo stood rigidly still, his eyes glued to the building.  Once he pulled out his shell cell and tried to reach Raph, only to receive an earful of static.

            Only six minutes had passed when Leo started to move.

            Nobody could think of no way to stop him other than to wrap his body around Leo and drag him back.

            “Let me go,” Leo said fiercely, struggling in Nobody’s grip.

            “You’re in no condition to go in there, damn it!”  Nobody held him tightly, his larger size an aid against the strong ninja.

            “I don’t want to hurt you, Nobody, but I will if I have to,” Leo told him as he began to shift inside Nobody’s hold.

            “Where are they?  Where’s Casey?”  It was Michelangelo, sprinting down the sidewalk towards the burning warehouse.

            Leo stopped fighting and called to them, seeing the quick shift of emotions on Don’s face as he came to understand Nobody was subduing Leonardo and not embracing him.

            He was starting to feel lightheaded and realized that he was losing a lot more blood than he’d originally thought.

            Then Don was gone.  Leo tried to pull away from Nobody again in order to stop Donny from going into the death trap, but he didn’t have the strength.

            “Oh shell,” Mikey rasped, as Leo swayed in Nobody’s arms.  “Set him down, dude.  I’ve gotta stop the blood.”

            Leo blinked hard, trying to clear his vision as Nobody lowered him to the sidewalk.  He felt Mikey’s careful hands on his leg, his touch delicate from years of manipulating game controllers.

            The sound of a motorcycle engine drew his attention off Mikey.  Raph!  Had to be Raph . . . safe . . . with Don . . . they could go home.

            Casey’s heavy voice cut through his fog and he almost choked on his bitter fear.

            “Fuck!  This guy’s heavier than he looks!  Anybody got a first aid kit?” Raph yelled at them, racing across the street with Tsunami draped over his shoulder.

            Leo sobbed his relief as Raph’s red mask swam into view.  Raph set Tsunami on the ground next to Leo and grinned as the blue mutant groaned a protest at his rough handling.

            Looking around, Raph turned a puzzled face to Leo.  “Where’s Don?”

            A loud explosion shook the ground, jerking Mikey up and around; staring wide eyed as flames rolled out of the windows and doors of the building Donatello had entered just a few moments before.

            “Noooo,” Mikey moaned and Raph, seeing his look and hearing the tone of his lament, grabbed Mikey’s shoulder.

            “Oh, fuck no,” Raph pleaded in a low, strained voice.

            Leo guts clenched in agony as he scrabbled at the wall behind him, pulling himself upright.

            Nobody tried to catch him as he lurched to his feet and Leo pushed him away.

            His eyes glued to the wreckage that now littered the street, Leo threw back his head and screamed his anguish, “ _DONNY_!”


	35. JF35 Fateful Decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 2,276  
> Rated: R  
> Summary: Once it's done, you can't take it back. Angst, fear, sexual themes, language.

            It was one of his old horror movies; everything black and white, moving in slow motion.

            Mikey watched Leo tip forward and collapse.  Nobody caught him; setting him gently on the sidewalk.

            Raph was squatting, his head between his hands, curling into a ball, into himself.

            Tsunami had pushed himself onto one elbow, his eyes mostly unfocused, bleeding from a head wound as he reached to touch Raphael.

            Casey, hands on his head, shouting, “Fuck, fuck, fuck!”  Over and over again.

            Mikey was numb; not sure what to think or feel.  He just knew he couldn’t accept that anything had happened to Don.  He was sure if something bad had happened, he’d be able to sense it.

            Raph suddenly leaped to his feet and started across the street.

            “No!”  Mikey came to enough to lunge forward and grab Raph’s elbow, jerking him off balance.  “No, no Raph, no,” he pleaded.

            Raph whipped around, his eyes bulging.  “I gotta get him.  I gotta get him out.”

            Mikey shot a desperate look at Casey, then turned back to his brother.  “You can’t go in now, Raph.  The air’s sure to be toxic.”

            “But, Don . . . .” Raph started, turning his head to look back at the burning warehouse.

            “He’s got a mask; he’s got three of them,” Mikey said.  “He’s smart enough to have dodged that blast.  Maybe he can’t get to us but we gotta figure out a way to get to him without killing ourselves in the process.”

            Casey finally snapped out of it and stepped in front of Raph.  “Man, he’s right Raph.  Come on, think.”

            Raph’s glance moved to the sidewalk; to Leo.  Thinking, planning, that was all on Leo.

            His brother was nearly unconscious.  Lying flat on the sidewalk, his leg swathed in blood soaked bandages, he blinked up at the sky and sighed periodically, the loss of blood making it hard for him to breathe.

            Mikey followed Raph’s glance, and quickly left the hot head’s side to kneel next to Leo.  Nobody had disappeared down the street on some mission of his own; Mikey didn’t much care about that at the moment.

            He needed to re-suture Leo’s leg and transfuse some blood.  Running a line of stitches was easy enough, he’d done it plenty of times.  But giving a blood transfusion wasn’t something he’d ever done.  That was Don’s job.

            Don.  Mikey’s vision blurred.  They had to have Don; they couldn’t survive without Donny.

            “Should’ve been me,” he said in a low voice.

            He thought no one would hear, but Tsunami rolled his head towards Mikey and said, “That serves no purpose Michelangelo.”

            Mikey shook his head, “Maybe not, but I can still think it.  I coulda carried oxygen masks inside the building; Don would’ve been more useful out here fixing Leo’s leg.”

            “And if there had been a medical emergency inside the warehouse, how would you have dealt with that?  Do you know the symptoms of cyanide gas poisoning?  Your brother made a logical choice when he decided to be the one to go into that building; the choice was _his_ , not yours.”

            “He’s gotta be in there waiting on us,” Raph interrupted, catching the end part of their discussion.

            “Along with the possibility of air tainted with cyanide gas,” Tsunami pointed out.

            Mikey dipped into Don’s bag and pulled out an instant ice pack.  Popping the bag, he handed it to Tsunami, who accepted it gratefully and placed it on the back of his head.

            “How do we get him out?” Mikey asked, leaning over to examine the bandages on Leo’s leg.  He had to get Leo back to the lair soon.

            “I believe I can help with that.”

            Mikey sprang to his feet in a joyous rush at the sound of Nano’s voice and flung his arms around his boyfriend’s neck.

            Nobody stood next to him.  “I called Nano because poison gas won’t have any effect on him.”

            Raph’s growl warned Mikey and he pulled away from Nano quickly, facing his red banded brother.  “Umm, shell, Raph, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you . . . .”

            “Save it,” Raph snapped.  “I already heard about how ya’ been fucking a robot.  I’ll beat the snot out of ya’ later; after we rescue Don.”

            Sirens sounded in the distance and Raph’s head jerked towards them.

            “I’m sorry, but I had to call the city’s hazardous materials response team,” Nobody said.

            Raph’s rage boiled over and he lunged at Nobody.  Casey stepped into his body and Raph bounced off of him. 

            “Don’t got time for that Raph!  Focus on Don pal,” Casey said.

            Nobody held his ground.  “If that cyanide was compromised, then a lot of people are in danger, Raphael.  We’re in danger standing here.  There are fires still burning in that building.  We need to get Leo and Tsunami some medical attention and all of you need to go someplace where you won’t be seen.”

            Tsunami was sitting up, holding the ice pack to his head.  Carefully standing, he braced himself with one hand on the wall and told Raph, “He’s right, Raphael.  There is more at stake here than Donatello’s safety; this entire section of the city could be in danger.”

            “I will retrieve Donatello,” Nano said.  “I will find him and bring him out without letting anyone see him.”

            Mikey was following the discussion with something nagging at the back of his mind.  Something everyone had forgotten; even he was having a hard time grasping it, but it seemed important.

            Looking over at the building, he saw flames flickering in the dark alley and that’s when the vague unease became a real fear.

            “Nano!  You can’t go in there either.  Poison may not affect you, but fire does,” Mikey told him, becoming agitated.

            Nano smiled at Mikey.  Reaching for his boyfriend’s hand, Nano squeezed it lightly and said, “I will be fast.  Some of my collective will be destroyed, but I will survive.  If I do not go in soon, Donatello will _not_ survive.”

            “Stop talking and go, damn it,” Raph growled.

            Mikey held on to Nano’s hand.  “Please, Nano . . . .”

            Nano lifted his other hand and stroked Mikey’s face.  He knew Mikey cared about him and that was important to Nano; that was everything to Nano.  But he also knew Mikey would not remain Mikey without Donatello; Mikey would fade and that was something Nano could not abide.

            Shifting nanobots retreated out of Mikey’s hand and he was left holding air as Nano ran into the warehouse.

            “Raph. Mikey,” Leo’s voice was a deep rasp.

            Turning, Mikey saw that Leo was sitting up and was trying to rise.  Kneeling swiftly, Mikey placed his hands on Leo’s shoulders and kept him down.

            “Stay down Leo.  You lost a lot of blood,” Mikey told him.

            “What’s happening?  Is Nano going after Don?” Leo wanted to know, breathing hard with the effort of those few words.

            “Yeah.” Raph squatted on his other side.  “He volunteered ‘cause cyanide won’t hurt him.”

            “Fire . . . .” Leo began.

            Raph nodded, glanced up at Mikey’s pained expression and then looked back at Leo.

            “He knows what could happen to him.  He . . . he said he was going in anyway.”  Raph lifted his head to look at Mikey again.  “Nano’s got guts.”

            Mikey’s eyes were misting over again and he choked back a small laugh as he said, “Figures my boyfriend’s gotta die to get you to like him.”

            Nobody leaned over them.  “He won’t die, Mikey.  The fire may burn away some of the nanobots, but only one needs to survive for Nano to rebuild himself.”

            The sirens were louder now, followed by the screeching of tires.

            “We should hide ourselves,” Tsunami said.

            Nobody started a hand for Leo and Raph brushed it aside.

            “Ya’ help Tsunami; me and Mikey can take care of our brother,” Raph snapped.

            They made it into the sewers just as the Hazmat response vehicle, the fire department and police pulled into the street.

            Mikey and Raph held Leo propped between them, trying to keep him from putting weight on his injured leg.

            “Donny and me came on the sewer slider.  We can take Leo back on it,” Mikey said, turning his mind away from his worry about Don and Nano.

            “I’ll help ya’ get him on; Casey can ride with ya’ back ta the lair.  Master Splinter knows more about injuries than me anyway.  I gotta wait for Don,” Raph told him.

            “You have to come Raph,” Mikey said.  “I need to give him blood and I don’t know how much Don has in his fridge.  He’s gonna need some from both of us.”

            “No,” Leo hissed.  His head came up and he looked at Raph.  “We don’t leave without Donny.”

            Nobody moved in front of him, standing close so Leo couldn’t ignore him.  “Casey and I can stay and wait for Nano and Don.  I’ll change into my uniform and find out what’s happening inside the warehouse.  That will give me the chance to cover Nano when he comes out with Donatello so none of the emergency services people see him.  We won’t leave without him, Leonardo.  I swear it,” Nobody said, his voice hoarse and low.

            Leo’s eyes narrowed and he nodded curtly, once.  “No matter what happens, you don’t leave him.  You don’t leave my brother.”

            “Leo, I ain’t fucking leaving without Don,” Raph insisted, his voice cracking with emotion.

            Mikey began pulling both of them towards the slider.  “We go now, Raph.  I gotta have time to figure out how to do a blood transfusion and if we don’t get out of here, we’re gonna lose Leo.”

            Tsunami had been leaning against the tunnel wall, quietly nursing a massive headache.  Now he pushed away and came towards the brothers.

            “Ananda knows how, Michelangelo.  She has extensive medical training.  Let me call her; she can come to the lair and take care of Leonardo.”

=========================

            They answered Master Splinter’s questions as they carried Leo to the infirmary.  Their sensei was visibly upset, but his primary focus was to see to the care of the son with the immediate need.

            Tsunami arrived with Ananda just as Mikey finished removing the bandages from Leo’s leg.  She was crisply efficient as she quickly familiarized herself with Don’s equipment and supplies, and set about transfusing blood from Raphael directly into Leo.

            As fresh blood was given to Leo, Mikey helped her stitch up his brother’s thigh.  Her work was thorough as she made the stitching small and tight to reduce scarring.

            Mikey fretted.  Over two hours had passed since leaving the burning warehouse and they hadn’t heard anything.

            Tsunami stood next to them and watched the blood flow from Raph’s arm to Leo’s.

            “What the fuck is so fascinating ‘bout this?” Raph finally demanded.

            Tsunami snickered, trying to bolster the Turtle.  “I thought it would be green.”

            “Yeah, well it ain’t.” He started to turn his face away, then stopped to ask, “How’s your head?”

            Lifting a hand to touch the bandage Ananda had placed on his injury, Tsunami said, “A residual headache, nothing more.  If you hadn’t arrived, those thugs would have finished me.  I didn’t think you cared,” he added, somewhat facetiously.

            Raph snorted.  “I guess ya’ don’t know me as well as ya’ thought ya’ did.”

            A corner of Tsunami’s mouth lifted.  “No, but I’d like to.”

            The sound of arrivals cut off any retort Raph might make.  Mikey darted for the door of the infirmary and yanked it open to see Nobody and Casey stumble into the lair carrying a makeshift gurney.

            His heart thudding hard in his chest, Mikey ran to them as they placed their burden on the floor.

            Nano, what was left of Nano, lay in pieces on the gurney and Mikey dropped to his knees next to him.

            “He wouldn’t come out of the warehouse,” Nobody explained. “He couldn’t find Donatello anywhere and refused to leave until he had searched every inch of space.  A hot spot erupted and he got caught in it.”

            Casey cleared his throat, “Don ain’t in the warehouse, Mikey.  We don’t know where he is, but he made it out somehow.”

            “Tell Raph,” Mikey managed to choke out, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.

            Nano’s eyes opened at the sound of Mikey’s voice.  “Donatello.  Mutant Turtle.  Purple mask.  Master of ninjitsu and the bo staff.  Was unable to locate.”

            “N . . . Nano?”  Mikey whispered.

            “Michelangelo.  Mutant Turtle.  Orange mask.   Master of ninjitsu and the nunchakus,” Nano droned out the litany in his childlike sing song voice.  It held no note of recognition, nor did his face, which no longer shifted with emotion.

            Mikey looked up at Nobody.  “I d . . . don’t understand.  W . . . what . . . ?”

            Nobody kneeled across from Mikey and said gently, “A lot of his collective burned, Mikey.  Some memories are either gone or have to be restored from the remainder of the nanobots.  I’m going to put him in a stasis unit back at Justice Force headquarters so he can rebuild himself.”

            Mikey touched his boyfriend and felt the nanobots shift under his fingers.  “Will he be all right?”

            “Yes, I think so.”  Nobody cleared his throat.  “Mikey, I don’t know enough about him to tell you how much of the original Nano will come back.”

            Mikey felt a tear slip down his cheek.  “What does that mean?”

            Nobody pulled his mask off, his face full of sympathy.

            “Mikey, he may never remember anything about the two of you.”


	36. JF36 Touch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,802  
> Rated: NC-17 Slight non-con, sexual themes  
> Summary: When have you crossed the line from love to obsession?

            Raptarr stood next to Donatello’s bed and looked down at the Turtle.  The physician’s had done their work; his wounds would heal nicely.  For now, Don was sedated and resting comfortably.

            Don’s face looked so much softer without his mask.  So much younger.  The ninja’s gear lay on a cot across the room; carefully removed by Raptarr as the physician’s prepared to work on his friend.

            Lifting a hand to the top edge of the sheet covering Don, Raptarr pulled it back and neatly folded it at the end of the bed.  Then he moved back to his original position and stared at his friend in awe.

            Every inch of the Turtle’s body was hard muscle.  Tight olive green skin and sinewy tendons; a wide sensuous mouth.

            Raptarr saw the nicks and scars on Don’s skin and plastron.  Not as noticeable as his brother’s; they nevertheless told the story of this mutants life almost better than words could.

            He felt the need to touch one of the scars; its placement on Don’s plastron drew his hand.  Raptarr’s fingers dipped into the tiny crevice and he wondered what had made that mark.

            Raptarr trailed his fingers over Don’s plastron to yet another nick and then he traced the line running straight down the center of Don’s body.

            A low murmur and Don shifted slightly in his sleep.  Raptarr lifted his head and his fingers; looking into Don’s face he saw the Turtle was quite unconscious.

            Turning back to his study of Don’s plastron, Raptarr’s fingers once more slid over the rough scutes to Don’s side, where plastron and skin met.  He had touched his friend before, but not like this; the careful but thorough exploration more a lover’s gesture than that of a friend.

            The skin was soft and warm and Raptarr pressed his entire palm to the flesh.  Once more Don squirmed and then moaned very slightly.

            Fascinated by his reaction, Raptarr began to move his fingers over more of Don’s skin, letting them roam at will.  His touch was past the point of mere tender expression; he was trying to learn and memorize, his hands growing hungry for the feel of Donatello.

            Don moaned again, twisting his head and Raptarr pulled his hands back with a guilty jerk.  Chiding himself for taking advantage of Don’s unconscious state, Raptarr crossed his arms on his chest and pressed them down tightly so they would not reach out again.

            Don’s body called to him.  Raptarr tilted his head to look into Don’s face, the gentle intelligence obvious even as he slept.  He had tried to see his friend before the accident and Don had turned him away for some unknown reason.  Raptarr wondered if this would be his only chance to touch Donatello.

            He tried telling himself not to rationalize his actions even as his hands moved again.

            The center line on Don’s plastron held Raptarr’s eyes and he traced it once more; this time putting a bit more pressure into the touch.

            Don groaned and his legs moved.  Gratified, Raptarr told himself that if he could persuade Don to give him a chance, he’d already know how to give his friend pleasure.

            Raptarr recognized that thought as another way to tell himself that what he was doing was all right, even though he knew deep inside that it was not.  He couldn’t seem to stop.

            Now the solid muscle of Don’s thighs drew his attention.  His hands rubbed across the top of both and then dipped inward slowly.  Raptarr’s eyes were on Don’s face, but the sedative was strong and he didn’t awaken.

            Raptarr’s hand encountered Don’s wide, rough little tail and stroked it gently.  He was surprised when Don’s head rolled to the side again, and a strange sound issued from deep in his chest.

            Don’s legs spread wider of their own accord.  Raptarr felt his heart pounding in his chest; he had always wondered where the Turtle kept his manhood and was of two minds about what he was doing.

            If he kept going, that question would be answered, if he stopped . . . if he stopped . . . .

            The thought was never finished because he couldn’t stop.

            Raptarr’s fingers found a bulge and then a slit as they moved up from the tail.  Sliding the tips of his fingers inside, Raptarr felt for what he guessed it contained.

            Don hips jerked upwards in reaction, and the strange sound came out again, followed by a loud moan.

            When Raptarr’s hand encountered the head of Don’s cock he had second thoughts and pulled his hands back.  Clenching them into fists, he held both straight down against his sides and closed his eyes, trying to gain control.

            He heard Don moan lowly and his eyes opened to see the Turtle’s legs shift again.  Don’s hips lifted slightly and the head of his cock peeped out of its hiding place.

            A cold sweat broke out on Raptarr’s forehead and he began to breathe faster.  His self-control was slipping as he realized that Donatello was so obviously a very sensual creature.

            Raptarr felt his own manhood stir to life and stopped resisting his urge to explore further.

            Placing his hands between Don’s legs, Raptarr ran his fingers up the underside of Don’s tail to the base and felt around the area until he discovered the hot little opening he was hoping to find.  As his finger pressed against it, Don let out a long sigh and completely dropped down.

            There was a loud buzz in Raptarr’s head as he saw Don’s fully erect penis for the first time.  The Turtle was well endowed and the sight made the Avian shudder with longing.

            Too long, too long he had been without a mate.  It was built into the Avian DNA; once past a certain age the body required the bond of mating.  Raptarr was well past that age; resisting the call of his blood because he would not settle for less than perfection.

            Perfection was Donatello.  Male, female, it didn’t matter to the deepest of Avian needs, as long as there was _someone_.

            For Raptarr, that someone was Don.  Pulling in a deep, shaky breath, Raptarr pushed a little harder against Don’s anus, pressing just the tip of a finger inside.

            Don gasped, his hips thrust upwards and his cock bounced.  Raptarr stopped moving and took several deep panting breaths.  The veins on Don’s shaft stood out as his dick swelled and pulsed before the winged man’s eyes.

            Raptarr’s cock responded, hardening inside his pants; it pressed against the material and begged to be set free.

            His eyes locked on Don’s manhood, Raptarr saw the first traces of pearly white precome dot the surface.  Keeping his finger on Don’s opening, Raptarr started the other hand for Don’s penis.

            Somehow he stopped himself just inches from touching it.  Tearing his eyes away, he looked at Don’s face.

            He was beautiful in his sleep; a thin sheen of sweat covered the olive skin, his face was flushed and his head had rolled to the side.  The sounds he was making were beautiful as well; the moans, murmurings and the strange deep noise that periodically moved up through his chest.

            Raptarr’s hand hovered above Don’s cock, and then his hand began to shake as he willed himself to avoid the touch. 

            Straightening, Raptarr reluctantly removed his finger from Don’s entrance.  It was all he could do not to give in to the need to take Donatello right then.  Raptarr’s penis was painfully hard and he pressed the palm of his hand over it, feeling it move within the tight confines of his pants.

            Raptarr’s emotions were at war as he stood gazing down at Don.  Every instinct in his body urged him to mount Donatello and take him, just _take him_ – push his burning cock deep into the olive green body and mark Don as his.  To wrap his hands; his mouth, around Don’s erection and taste the secrets hiding inside.

            But he couldn’t, he wouldn’t dishonor his love while Don was unconscious.  Raptarr wanted more than sex, he wanted a mate.  He needed Donatello to be his by choice, not because Raptarr succumbed to his basest instincts.

            The roar in his ears was loud as he fought his demon.  Don moaned again and twisted his head; his hips jerked as his body sought relief, sought friction to ease his pain and Raptarr took a step back, hoping distance would bolster his resolve.

            He could still smell Donatello.  Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply of the earthy, musky scent that was his friend.

            Moving to the top of the bed, he leaned down to within inches of Don’s face and memorized every line, every mark and every feature.  He gave in again to the need to touch and gently stroked his fingers across Don’s neck and up over his jawline.

            Don moaned again and his hips rolled as his legs spread further.  Raptarr froze at the reaction, and then carefully placed his mouth on Don’s neck and licked his skin.

            The deep vibrating noise issued from Don’s throat and his hips thrust up once, twice.  Don’s thighs were rigid on the bed, holding his hips up as his cock leaked precious fluids.

            Wrong.  This was wrong, it was non-consensual and wrong.  Raptarr backed away; kept moving backwards until his wings hit a window, and then he turned around and put his forehead on the cool glass.

            Raptarr’s nostrils extended as he sucked in air and tried to calm himself.  He would do no more to Donatello.  He had done enough getting him so worked up, knowing deep inside he couldn’t offer relief to the unconscious Turtle.

            He would wait here and look out over his city.  He would wait for his erection to ease and give Don’s time to ease and retract as well.

            Raptarr knew he needed to reach Don’s brothers and tell them Don was okay.  Don’s shell cell had been broken when he fell in the warehouse and was completely useless, but Raptarr could fly back down and tell them himself.

            He just didn’t want to leave Don.  Raptarr didn’t want to be gone when Don awoke.

            Hearing voices in the corridor, Raptarr spun around and moved back to the Turtles side.  He was relieved to see Don’s erection had diminished and that it was properly tucked away.

            Raptarr grabbed the sheet and pulled it back over Don’s body.  The wide mouth was close and Raptarr touched it lightly with his own, not enough to be called a first kiss; more of a passing brush.

            Just before the door opened, Raptarr stroked Don’s cheek with his hand, the touch gentle and loving.

            Don’s breath washed over Raptarr’s face as he whispered, “ _Raptarr_.”


	37. JF37 Impossible Odds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,684  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Two brothers; comfort, support, fear and hope.

            He woke enough at one point to hear pieces of a conversation.  He wished they would say something about what was uppermost on his mind.

            Mikey’s voice, sounding strained and tired.  _“How is he?”_

            A female voice, not April’s.  _“He’s okay.  He needs to rest though; I had to give him a sedative so he’d stay down.”_

            He could feel her touch his arm and something pulling on his skin.

            _“You’re still giving him blood?”_   Mikey again, though it faded out a little.

            Struggling to hear the answer because it seemed important.

_“Just a bit more.  I’m certainly glad Don left such excellent notes on your physiology.”_

            Notes.  She had to read notes.  That meant she couldn’t ask Don.

            _“I hope he isn’t too mad ‘cause I let someone else play with his stuff.”_ Mike was trying to sound lighthearted and failing.

            The female voice.  _“Does Donatello get mad?”_

            Someone who didn’t know Don well.  He would laugh if he could; maybe later.

_“Oh, shell yeah.  Not often, but when he does, it’s serious run for the hills time.”_

            Memories.  Mental images of Don.  Of Donatello.  Of Donny . . . .

            He faded out again.

========================

            Swimming in and out of consciousness, more voices.

_“Get up, get up damn it!”_

_“I can’t see anything . . . .”_

_“No, I’ll go in, it’s not your place.”_

_“We’re not leaving . . . !”_

_“I’m fine, I can walk.”_

_“Donny!”_

            They were all his.

========================

            The voice soundtrack finally stopped playing in his head as Leonardo slowly awakened.  He had to blink several times to clear his vision; he wanted to know what time it was and couldn’t see the digital display on Don’s clock.

            Something red moved into his line of sight – Raphael.

            “How long?” Leo croaked out, his voice raspy.  He had to know; it seemed imperative.

            Raph understood.  “Twenty-four hours.”

            “Don?” Leo asked.

            Raph shook his head.  “Not yet.  He wasn’t in the building.”

            Leo blinked again, his mind working to understand.  Donny wasn’t inside? 

            “Sure?” Leo tried not to let hope cover him with its warm blanket.

            Raph set a straw against his lips and Leo sipped the cool water offered to him.

            “Yeah.”  This time Raph cleared his throat.  “Nano wouldn’t come out until he made sure.  He, um, Leo.  Nano got messed up bad.”

            Leo released the straw, looking at Raph with understanding.  “Fire.”

            Raph nodded.  “He made it out a side entrance before . . . before coming apart.  Nobody and Casey grabbed the pieces and came here with him so they could let us know about Don.  So Mikey . . . Mikey saw him.”

            Leo closed his eyes and swallowed.  “Where is he?”

            “Mikey’s in the lair.  Nobody and Ananda took Nano back to JF headquarters.  They’re gonna stick him in stasis and let the nanobots reconstruct themselves.  They already told Mikey he might not be exactly the same.”

            Leo felt an empathetic stab of pain for his little brother.  Too many blows.  Opening his eyes, he forced himself to concentrate on the more urgent matter.

            “The warehouse?” he asked.

            “Fire department knocked down the flames and the hazmat experts said the cyanide wasn’t exposed, thanks ta Tsunami.  The area’s cordoned off.  The police grabbed the thugs I clobbered while I was rescuing Tsunami.”

            Leo tried to sit up, agitated by that news.  Raph put a hand on his plastron and firmly held him down.

            “We ain’t having a repeat, Leo.  Move again and I’m gonna tie ya’ down.  Ya’ don’t leave here this time until the stitches are ready ta fall out on their own,” Raph told him.

            “That gang.  Donny . . . .”  Leo coughed, trying to clear his throat in order to produce more words.

            He didn’t need to; Raph knew him well.  “Nobody already thought of that.  He’s at the police station right now trying ta find out something.  Those guys haven’t even been arraigned.  Nobody says he doesn’t know if they’ll get bail ‘cause of the cyanide.  I say a damn good lawyer will tell the court they were just ‘passing by’.”  Raph watched a lot of court drama on TV.

            “We have to get to them,” Leo insisted.

            “We will.  We got an inside man.  He’s your pal; have a little confidence in him.”

            Nobody.  He couldn’t think about him now.  Leo glanced into Raph’s face, looking for hidden meaning and saw none.  He didn’t talk while he was out of it this time; not like with Donny . . . .

            Cut that thought for now and concentrate.  “Where is the rest of the Justice Force?”

            “Tsunami is still here,” Raph said.  “Ananda was worried he had a concussion and said someone needed ta keep an eye on him, so Mikey stuck him on the couch.  Silver Sentry and Chrysalis hadda go ta Bombay, and since no one’s seen Raptarr, we figure he went with ‘em.”

            “Master Splinter.  Is he okay?” Leo asked.

            “Seems ta be.  He’s been meditating; trying ta reach Don.  They managed it before, but that time Don was sorta motivated by pain,” Raph grimaced.

            Leo reached a hand out and wrapped it around Raph’s wrist.  Neither said anything for a few minutes, and then Raph drew in a deep, anguished sigh.

            “I was thinking ‘bout that time Drako sent me ta that alien planet ‘n sent Donny into that alternate reality,” Raph started, only to have Leo cut him off.

            “No Raph.”

            Raph’s arm shifted, pulling out of Leo’s grasp, he twisted so he was holding Leo’s hand.

            “I gotta say it out loud bro’.  I hate the idea but I can’t bury it like ya’, and if I don’t say something I’ll explode, okay?  Ya’ remember how long it took for us ta get the whole story out of him?  How he said he never did know what happened ta the Don of that reality?  Ya’ remember how we all had nightmares after he finally told us about it?”  Raph face was twisted, his voice squeezing past the constriction in his throat.

            “That was a different reality Raph.  Not ours.  It’s not happening and we’re going to find Don soon,” Leo reassured him as he tightened his hold on Raph’s hand.

            “This is my nightmare,” Raph whispered and then his mouth snapped closed.

            _“Mine too,”_ Leo thought.  Out loud his voice was calm as he said, “He’s only been gone a day, Raph.  The circumstances aren’t the same, there is no Shredder, and we will find Don.”  He sat up a bit, forcing Raph to meet his eyes.  “We will find Don,” he repeated.

            Raph nodded, his eyes holding Leo’s like a lifeline.  Clearing his throat, Raph said, “’S good then.  I’ll go light a fire under Nobody’s ass and see if there’s a way ta get one of them nuts in jail ta crack.  Maybe I’ll let Tsu drown one of their buddies.”  He grinned at his new pet name for Tsunami, remembering how little the blue mutant appreciated the diminutive.

            Leo started to move again.  “I can’t just lay here.”

            “Ya’ can and ya’ will Fearless.”  Raph still had one hand wrapped tightly in Leo’s, so with the other he once more pushed Leo back into a reclining position.  “Ya’ wanna do something useful, put that brain of yours ta work on some kinda plan.  I don’t wanna be dealing with Nobody any more than I have ta; he’s a fucking loose cannon.”

            Leo had to grin.  “Takes one to know one.”

            “Well than ya’ ought ta listen ta me.  I don’t know what’s wrong with him, but lately he don’t seem as focused and precise as he used ta be.  Whatever the fuck’s going on in his head, it’s causing a shitload of problems for the rest of us.”

            The quick flash of guilt in Leo’s eyes was misread by his brother.  “You’re tired.  Ya’ need ta go back ta sleep now.”

            “Raph, there’s no way I can sleep . . . .” Leo began.

            Raph interrupted, “Then pretend, ‘cause ya’ ain’t going no place.  Ananda’s coming back ta’ stay here and watch your ass while the rest of us go find Donny.  I promise I’ll keep ya’ posted, okay?  Nothings gonna happen that I don’t tell ya’ about.  Is that good enough for ya’, ya’ control freak?”

            Leo gave him a small smile, staring pointedly at Raph’s hand on his plastron.  “We can discuss control issues later.  For now, I’ll accept your promise.  I trust you.”

            Raph snorted, “After all these years ya’ should.”

            He leaned down and pressed a kiss to Leo’s mouth.  After a moment, they deepened the kiss, their tongues passing their own individual strengths on to each other.

            Pulling back after a couple of minutes, Raph whispered, “Get better okay?  I been missing ya’.”

            Leo tried to relax after Raph left.  His mouth tingled from Raph’s touch and he held onto that feeling in an effort to ward off the despair that was trying to overwhelm him.

            As his eyes slid shut, the memory of another kiss came back to him.  This one had been full of desire; hot and promising.  It was a kiss that Leo had longed for a million years ago; back before harsh reality had butted in and screwed with their lives.

            Nobody had been correct when he told Leo that the circumstances of their lives made it impossible for them to be together.  He was still correct even though he seemed to be forgetting his own words and pushing past the boundaries that separated he and Leo.

            Leo thought of Raph’s kiss; of Don’s hands, rough yet gentle.  Mikey’s playfulness.

            He already had everything he could ever want.  Life would be perfect if they could just find Donny.  If Mikey could heal from the loss of Nano.  If Nobody could be made to understand that they couldn’t be together because the odds against them were simply impossible to beat.

            If he could just stop thinking about all the impossible odds he’d already beaten in his young life.

 


	38. JF38 Nowhere To Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 966  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Behind that quirky exterior lies a big heart.

            A noise woke Tsunami and it took him a minute to remember where he was.  Sitting up from the couch inside the Turtle’s lair, he turned and saw Raphael walk slowly and dejectedly into the bathroom.

            Tsunami didn’t lay back down again.  He was happy to note that his headache was gone, as was the annoying lump on the back of his head.  He had always had wonderful recuperative abilities.

            It was a half hour later when Tsunami heard a dull thud from the direction of the bathroom and realized Raph had not yet come out.  Rising, he walked towards the room and as he drew near, he heard a low outcry followed by unintelligible words uttered in a tone of deep distress.

            Pressing his ear to the door, he heard two or three thumps, and then a low pained moan.

            Tsunami turned the doorknob and opened the door to peer inside.  A rush of warm, humid air hit him and then he saw Raphael, slumped on the floor of the shower stall as water washed over him.

            “Raphael?” Tsunami called softly.

            There was no answer and Tsunami stepped in, closing the door behind him.  Padding lightly across the damp floor, Tsunami leaned over to look at the Turtle and found that he was sound asleep.

            Raph jerked suddenly, flinging out his arm and hitting the wall as he murmured incoherently.  That was when Tsunami understood that Raph was having a nightmare.

            Kneeling next to the stall, Tsunami looked at his friend.  He had seen Raph’s face when it was angry, annoyed, happy, content, sarcastic and berserk with fury.  Never had he seen it marked by so much pain.

            This was the face Raphael showed only to his family and probably rarely then.  Tsunami would not be seeing it now if Raph wasn’t so completely exhausted and asleep; consumed by some hellish dream.

            To see this kind of suffering caused Tsunami to feel pain deep inside his core in a way he could never have fathomed.

            Placing a hand on Raph’s shoulder, he gently shook him.  “Raphael, wake up.  You’re having a bad dream.”

            Raph’s head snapped up and he jerked away from Tsunami’s touch.  A last strangled sob was wrenched out of his dream before he was fully awake.

            “What the fuck?” Raph snarled when he saw Tsunami and realized where they were.

            Tsunami stayed where he was, undaunted by Raph’s menacing tone.  “You fell asleep in the shower Raphael.  It’s a good thing this wasn’t a bathtub.  You’re quite exhausted; you should crawl into a real bed and get some sleep.”

            Raph rubbed his hand across his eyes.  “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.  I gotta find Don.”

            Shaking his head, Tsunami told him, “There is nowhere to look for him until Nobody gives you some information.  Running around the city with no plan is not productive.”

            “You’re starting ta sound like Leo.  Back off; I already got a big brother,” Raph snapped at him.

            “Note to self, Raphael gets more belligerent the more tired his is.”  Tsunami rested back on his heels.

            “Or maybe it’s just ya’.  Ever think of that?  Fucking always popping up; it’s getting on my nerves,” Raph said.

            “Such hostility from someone who burst through a bolted door in a burning warehouse to rescue me from the clutches of certain death.  Why _did_ you come back inside?”  Tsunami asked.

            Raph quirked an eye ridge at him.  “’Cause I don’t leave people behind,” Raph answered, “even ya’.”

            Tsunami chuckled, “And here I thought my fatal charm was finally getting to you.”

            “Fatal is right.  You’re gonna be the death of me,” Raph said as he leaned back against the shower wall, not moving out from under the spray of warm water.

            Tsunami studied him for a moment and Raph glared back at him, unblinking.

            “What was your nightmare about?” Tsunami finally asked.

            Raph’s eyes narrowed.  “None of your business.”

            “Something to do with Donatello?” Tsunami guessed.

            All he received as an answer was a low growl.

            Changing tactics, Tsunami asked, “Are you going to sit in the shower all night?”

            “I was trying ta relax ‘til ya’ came in,” Raph retorted.

            “Well,” Tsunami chuckled, “asleep definitely falls under the category of relaxed.”

            “Fuck off,” Raph replied.

            “If you insist on sitting here then let’s put this water to good use,” Tsunami announced.

            Before Raph could react, Tsunami twitched his fingers towards the shower head and the steady spray of liquid turned to larger drops which began to fall on Raph’s shoulders in a deliberate pattern.

            “Oh shell,” Raph groaned as the water found his sore muscles.

            Like an orchestra conductor, Tsunami raised two fingers and more water lifted from the shower floor and wrapped in bands around Raph’s legs.  They squeezed and rolled down from thigh to calf, and then another wave moved to follow the first, until the water looked like a continuous current on Raph’s emerald skin.

            Raph’s legs relaxed and stretched out and his chin lowered until it was nearly touching his plastron.

            Waving a pinky, Tsunami sent another set of water bands to work on Raph’s arms.

            His eyes closed, Raph sighed and said, “Damn Tsu, ya’ might be useful after all.”

            “I am talented,” Tsunami replied softly.

            “Yeah, and modest too,” Raph muttered sleepily.  He yawned and thought about getting up, but couldn’t actually feel his arms or legs anymore; they were so relaxed.

            “’Nother minute,” Raph all but whispered, and then he was asleep.

            Tsunami watched him, a small satisfied smile on his face.  He found there were ways to get around Raph’s stubborn streak; ways to manipulate him into doing what Tsunami wanted him to do.

            Ways to take care of Raphael when he didn’t want to take care of himself.


	39. JF39 The Deepest Cut

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 2,402  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Life may give them to you, circumstances may force them on you, but somehow, the deepest ones come from those you love most.

            Mikey had stepped up.  The night Don went missing, Mikey had gotten an injured Leonardo home and had somehow dragged an uncooperative Raph back to the lair as well.

            He had taken Tsunami’s advice and gotten Ananda to help with Leo’s medical care.  When she had suggested they go ahead with the live transfusion to save the stored blood, Mikey had almost literally wrestled Raph onto the cot next to Leo’s.  It was the best way to keep Raph from running off and doing something rash, and it kept Mikey free to help suture Leo’s leg.

            That done, Mikey had gone to check on Master Splinter.  His father was deep into his meditation, attempting to contact Don, so Mikey brewed some fresh tea for him.  Mikey had, after all these years, no idea why tea seemed to help his sensei through every major crisis they got into, but he was not going to question something that worked.

            It was shortly afterwards that Nobody and Casey had come in with Nano and the news that Donatello wasn’t in the warehouse and was completely unaccounted for.

            It was a one, two punch that hit Mikey hard.  Don’s disappearance was frightening; the fear of losing a brother the one thing that kept Mikey awake at night.  But then Nano . . . .

            His Nano.  The strange, sweet nanobot who had moved into Mikey’s heart with his ideas of family and love.  The nanobot who had become sentient and fully aware of his potential to be as real as everyone else as he became more involved with Mikey.

            Nano’s individuality was what Mikey loved; and now he might never be that Nano again.

            Somehow Mikey had managed to hold on even in the face of that horror.  He’d told Nobody to grab Ananda and get all of Nano’s parts into stasis as quickly as possible and then he’d asked them to return as soon as they could.

            He’d asked Ananda to watch Leo, because he knew once his older brother woke up, he would try to get out of bed to personally search for Don.

            Mikey had told Nobody to find out everything he could at the warehouse, since Nobody was the only one who could get close to the scene now that the public emergency teams were there.  Casey had offered to park himself at the warehouse as well; sticking to the sidelines and picking up any stray bits of info that might come his way.

            When he heard Ananda tell Tsunami to take it easy because he might have a concussion, Mikey had tossed the blue mutant a blanket and told him to get comfortable on the couch.  He wasn’t in the mood to be argued with, and Tsunami meekly did as he was told.

            That had turned out to be a good plan, because somehow Tsunami was having a calming effect on Raph.  Or maybe it was just that Tsunami knew how to refocus Raph’s frustration.

            It had been forty-eight long hours since Don had gone missing.  The news reports were full of the warehouse fire and the cyanide that had been discovered inside.  New Yorkers were once more horrified by images of terrorists and either the news reporters didn’t know the cyanide was being used to create lethal bullets, not weapons of mass destruction, or they knew and were being told to keep it close to their vests.  Either way, that part of the story had not yet leaked.

            Unfortunately, the information about the arrests of five suspects did make it into the news reports and the men the Turtles most wanted to question were being held in a high security wing of the main jail annex.  Whether they would be allowed out on a bond had yet to be determined.

            Somehow, Tsunami had managed to talk Raph into getting some sleep.  Or had put him to sleep; Mikey wasn’t sure which because all he knew was that Tsunami had transported an unconscious Raph into his bedroom on a water slide and they had both disappeared.  He would have been worried about that but for the fact that Tsunami had thrown him a self-satisfied grin and a thumbs up as he walked next to Raph’s sleeping form.

            Everything around him had been quiet and Mikey decided it was time for him to check on Nano personally.  He wasn’t concerned about his being grounded, if he still was; he was simply too sick at heart to care much if he got into further trouble with his father.

            Justice Force headquarters was deathly quiet with everyone gone.  Mikey made his way to the lab and found the stasis unit which held the remnants of his once lover, Nano.

            The parts had merged together once more and Nano had reformed himself into the shape of a human, albeit a very small one.  Mikey was gratified to see that; at least Nano had retained the memory of how to reshape himself without the use of outside resources, such as toasters and microwave ovens.

            That thought made Mikey chuckle as he leaned his head against the glass tube of the stasis unit.

            The sound of his laugh made the little nanobot turn and move in his direction.  The stasis unit was nothing more than a large tube, and Nano was against the glass opposite Mikey in just a second.

            “Michelangelo?” Nano asked in his soft sing song voice.

            “Yeah Nano, it’s Mikey.”  Clearing his throat, he asked, “How are you?”

            “I am well, how are you?” the nanobot asked in return.

            “I’m good.  Um, Nano, what do you remember?” Mikey wanted to know.

            “Remember?” Nano paused to process the question.  There was no expression on his face as he said, “I am a member of the Justice Force.  This is my home.  I was recently injured while attempting to save Donatello from a burning building.  Donatello is your brother.  He was not inside.”

            Mikey felt his chest tighten as he stared at Nano’s face, trying to see some trace of the emotion the nanobot had felt before the accident.  He could see nothing there other than an innocent and open look.

            “I m. . .mean about, you know, about us,” Mikey said.

            Nano responded instantly, “We are friends and colleagues.  You are the Turtle Titan.”

            “That’s right, Nano.”  Mikey tapped his forehead against the glass and squeezed his eyes shut.  After a moment, he sighed and said, “I’ve gotta get back to my family now.  I’ll be back to see you, okay?”

            “Yes, that is okay,” Nano said.

            Mikey turned back to look at Nano just before leaving the room.  His friend had not moved; he was watching Mikey intently.

            With a brave smile, Mikey waved to him as he left.  Nano lifted a hand and waved back.

            When the door closed behind Michelangelo, Nano lowered his arm and said, “ _Family_?”

*****************************

            Raphael was waiting for him when Mikey got back to the lair.  A very angry Raph.

            “Where the fuck did ya’ go?” Raph demanded.

            Mikey looked him straight in the eye and responded quietly, “I went to check on Nano.”

            “I knew it,” Raph snapped.  “Ain’t we got enough ta worry about right now without ya’ going missing?  Why the shell did ya’ feel the need ta check on that robot while our family is falling apart at the seams?”

            Mikey remained calm, although he was tired and scared.  “Nano is my family too, Raph.  And this family is not falling apart at the seams.  Don is missing and we are all trying to find him.”

            “Some of us are trying ta find him.  Some of us are playing footsie with a robot,” Raph said.

            Mikey felt his temper wearing thin.  “Nano nearly died trying to find Don.  I think he deserves to have someone from this ‘family’ care enough to see how he’s doing.”

            “He’s a damn robot, Mikey.” Raph threw his hands into the air in exasperation.  “He can’t die ‘cause he was never alive in the first place.  He’s a fucking machine.”

            “He is just as alive as you are!” Mikey yelled, completely angry at Raph’s insensitivity.  “Nano has feelings of his own; he was never _programmed_ because he’s not a robot.  He made the choice to go into a burning warehouse to try to save our brother even though he knew darn well what might happen to him.”

            “He went in because he was designed ta save lives.  That was supposed ta be his whole purpose when the doctor created him.  So don’t go hanging some award on him for doing what he was made ta do,” Raph ranted.

            “Nano did not go into that warehouse because of some design!  He went in because he knew he was the only chance Don had and because he loves me.  He didn’t want me to lose my brother,” Mikey shot back, breathing hard in his anger.

            “Well, Don’s still lost ain’t he?  We ain’t got no way of knowing if Nano did a good job of looking for him other than what he told Nobody.  Maybe he didn’t look all that hard after he went in and started feeling those flames,” Raph said, his temper tipping at the boiling point.

            “How dare you say that!” Mikey screamed, now completely furious.  “Nano wouldn’t have gone in at all if he was afraid of the fire.  His sacrifice was selfless and you’re a jerk if you think otherwise.”

            “Oh ho!  I’m a jerk?” Raph took a step towards Mikey, his fist bunched.  “ _I’m_ a jerk?  Which one of us has been sneaking around so he could have sex with a machine?”

            Mikey didn’t back down; in fact, he also clenched his fists tightly.  “So now you’re happy right, Raph?  My boyfriend, the _machine_ , is gone.  Every memory, everything he learned was wiped out by that fire so I don’t have really have a boyfriend anymore.  Satisfied, Raph?  Happy now, Raph?”

            “I ain’t happy ‘bout none of this shit.  All I’m pointing out is that machine can rebuild himself.  Donny can’t, and we don’t know any more now than we did two fucking days ago about where he is.” Raph was practically in Mikey’s face, his face twisted in an enraged knot.

            “We know Don wasn’t in that warehouse,” Mikey said, his anger fully engulfing him.  “We know that because my boyfriend fried himself to find that out for us.  My boyfriend who will rebuild himself into someone I don’t know because all his memories of me are gone.  Maybe he wouldn’t have had to go after Don if Don hadn’t had to go into that warehouse looking for you.”

            As soon as he said it, Mikey wished he could yank it back into his mouth.  Raph’s eyes glittered dangerously, but behind them was the hurt and guilt that sentence had caused.

            He saw Raph’s body tense, saw the twitch in Raph’s shoulder just as he swung a bruising uppercut to Mikey’s jaw.  That shoulder twitch had been enough tell for Mikey to pull his head back and avoid most of the massive power behind the blow, but it still hurt.

            Mikey went down but immediately pulled his feet under him and hurled himself straight at his brother.  His arms caught Raph around his middle and he threw him to the ground, riding his body as they fell.

            Raph hit with a loud grunt and Mikey threw a quick, sharp jab to Raph’s face before he was crushed by the hot heads grip and they both started rolling across the floor.

            _“STOP!”_

            The loud roar brought both their heads around and froze their fists.  Leo was standing in the door of the infirmary, an extremely agitated and frightened Ananda clinging to his arm.

            “Oh, please, please help me.  He got up when he heard you two fighting.  I couldn’t stop him.  He can’t be out of bed,” Ananda pleaded with them, her eyes wide.

            “Fuck!” Raph exclaimed and pulled away from Mikey. 

            They both jumped to their feet and rushed to Leo’s side.  Ananda retreated into the infirmary as the two brothers helped Leo get back into his bed.

            “I told ya’ not ta get out of this bed, Leo,” Raph said, his hands shaking.

            “You two can’t fight.  Not now,” Leo told them, a small catch in his voice. 

            “I’m sorry, Leo.  It’s just that . . . .” Mikey began.

            Leo grabbed his hand.  “I _know_ Mikey.  I understand.”  Turning his head, he caught Raph’s eyes.  “What Nano did was selfless and thoughtful, Raph.  Not the actions of a robot.  We should be grateful to him.  I know you’re upset by Mikey’s relationship, but now is not the time to explore that.”

            Raph lowered his head.  “Damn it Leo . . . .”

            Leo interrupted him as well.  “No Raphael.  You’re tired; we’re all tired, and we’re all scared.  We need Donny to be safe and not knowing anything is hard but that means we need to be strong together, not pulling each other apart.  It’s too much like. . . too much like what happened in that other reality.  We owe it to Don to not fight amongst ourselves.”

            Mikey looked across Leo and watched the emotions play across Raph’s face.  He could see the hurt there and the feeling of betrayal that was Raph’s biggest fear.

            “Raph, dude, I. . .I’m sorry, bro’.  It’s not your fault about Don.  You went in because of Tsunami and you saved his life,” Mikey told him softly.

            Raph rubbed a hand across his face, still refusing to meet Mikey’s eyes.  He nodded, cleared his throat and said, “’M sorry too.”

            A sound at the door drew their attention.  Master Splinter shuffled quickly into the room, his tail swinging from side to side in agitation.

            “Donatello is alive,” he told them.  When they all started to speak at once, he held up a palm and continued.  “I do not know where he is; I have merely made contact with his subconscious.  He is not in a waking state; whether from injury or narcotics I cannot tell.  But he is alive and we must accelerate our search.”

            As though on cue, Nobody appeared in the doorway.  He pulled his mask off and looked around the room, his eyes settling on Leo.

            “I think I know how to get to those prisoners,” he announced.


	40. JF40 The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 2,178  
> Rated: PG-13 language  
> Summary: A brother is missing and they can't get to the bad guys. Until Nobody comes up with a plan.

            “Ya’ want us ta do what?”  Raph asked skeptically.

            “It’s our only chance to talk to these men, Raphael.  Once the transfer is done, they’ll be in a federal lockup for who knows how long.  The feds can hold them without filing charges for an indefinite amount of time,” Nobody said.

            “So you want us to help you ambush the transport van, tie up a couple of homeland security guys and waltz off into the night with their prisoners?” Mikey quirked an eye ridge at him.  “Okay, I’m in,” he said sarcastically.

            “It could work you know.”  Tsunami sauntered into the infirmary.  The smell of cooking food followed in his wake and told everyone where he’d been.  “Given proper planning, timing and split second precision; and of course, the correct information on the route the van is going to take.”

            “I have a very reliable source inside the department who told me about the transfer.  They also told me the route and the time the move is scheduled to occur.  They’re moving the prisoners tomorrow night; after the ten o’clock news so the reporters won’t be hanging all over the building,” Nobody told them.

            “What’s going on?  Did ya’ find Donny?” Casey came through the door, followed by Master Splinter.

            Raph tipped his head towards his friend, “What’re ya’ doin’ here?”

            “Yeah, nice ta see ya’ to.  Nobody called and told me ta get down here a.s.a.p.  So what’s up?” Casey asked.

            “I called Jones because he’s going to be needed.  I have a plan on how we can take that transport van without injuring anyone inside,” Nobody said.

            Raph growled low in his throat and felt Leo’s fingers touch his arm lightly.  Swallowing the first thing he wanted to say, he managed to ask somewhat civilly, “I hope that plan ensures that folks on the outside of the fucking van don’t get hurt either.”

            “Language, my son,” Master Splinter admonished him out of habit.

            “Transport van?  A _police_ transport van?” Casey shook his head.  “Well, shit, let me go get my prison jumpsuit ta wear while we try and pull this off.  Least that way I’ll already be dressed when they haul my ass off.”

            “I think we can skip that part Jones.  My plan doesn’t include anyone going to jail, or getting hurt,” Nobody responded.

            “What exactly is this great plan?” Raph asked.  He kept glancing at Leo, expecting his leader to interrupt with questions, but Leo seemed content to let Raph speak for the family.

            “There’s a spot along the van’s route where we can divert it into a narrow alley.  Given the width of the van, if we stop it once it’s in that alley, the guards won’t be able to open the cab’s side doors.  There is only one other door, and that’s directly in the back.  Usually they do not have a guard riding in the back with the prisoners; I’ll verify that’s the case after they pull away from the NYPD security block.  We’ll pry open the back doors, grab their prisoners and push them into your moving truck.”

            “How will you get them into a narrow alley?  Most security drivers know better than to get themselves stuck in a potential ambush situation.”  Leo had pushed himself into a more upright position on his cot and was staring at Nobody.

            Raph heaved a sigh.  _“Bout fucking time he woke up,”_ he told himself.

            Nobody was meeting Leo’s eye and answered him directly, “Tsunami is going to flood the street just before the van gets there.  Two traffic cops are going to be redirecting vehicles into the alley.  We need to get another car in front of that van first; it will look less suspicious to them if there are other vehicles around.  That gives us the added bonus of the lead car being able to block the alley from the front.”

            “And then both our moving truck and the extra car get trashed ‘cause the police will be looking for them.  Don isn’t gonna like that when he gets back,” Mikey said.

            “The moving truck won’t be seen by the police and I think we can ‘borrow’ a car for the barricade vehicle.  Ananda,” Nobody turned and she perked up, “would you be willing to drive that lead car?”

            “Sure, anything to help,” she said.  “I can even ‘borrow’ it when you’re ready.”

            He smiled.  “Thank you.  That leaves Michelangelo to drive the moving truck and Tsunami and Raphael to open the van.”

            “What’s wrong with me and Casey opening the van?” Raph wanted to know.  “That’s the kinda stuff we do all the time.”

            “Because Jones and I will be the traffic cops.  Both you and Tsunami are too noticeable to pose as police,” Nobody answered.

            “He does have a point,” Tsunami said, indicating his blue skin.

            “How are you going to prevent them from throwing that van into reverse?” Leo asked.

            “If they haven’t any traction, they can’t move either direction,” Nobody told him.

            Tsunami smiled and said lazily, “It’s amazing how little water it takes to float a vehicle.”

            Mikey raised his hand.  “Ooh, ooh!  So what happens when they roll down the cab’s windows, lean out and start _shooting_ at us?”

            Raph aimed a grin at his little brother; even he hadn’t thought of that.

            “I think a hard water slap will keep those windows up,” Tsunami said.

            “Regular fucking orchestra, ain’t ya’?” Raph commented, then glanced at his father guiltily.

            “What are you going to do with those prisoners once you’ve got them?” Leo asked.  His eyes had never left Nobody and the dark vigilante had eyes for no one else in the room as well.

            Raph looked from one to the other and sensed an undercurrent of some sort.  He couldn’t tell if it was because they had gotten used to working with each other and were still operating in that mode as though no one else existed, or if something else was going on.

            All Raph knew was that somehow, he did not like it.

            “Detain and question, until we get the answers we need.  Then we’ll deliver them back into the hands of the police.  I think it would be a good plan to keep their eyes covered while they are with us,” Nobody answered.

            “No shit,” Raph murmured.

            “Ya’ know,” Casey said in a mild tone of voice, “if this wasn’t for Don, I’d tell ya’ ta shove this plan where the sun don’t shine.”

            “Thank you Jones.  I’ll take that under advisement,” Nobody remarked, his eyes still on Leo.

            “And just who’s gonna do the questioning?” Raph asked ominously.

            That pulled Nobody’s eyes off his brother.  “I will of course.”

            “Of course shit,” Raph snapped.  “Your idea of questions has ‘em sitting on rose petals and drinking champagne out of your shoe.  My brother, my questions.  Ya’ don’t like it; turn your head.”

            “I don’t want to return them to the authorities in several pieces, Raphael.  I can’t condone your methods,” Nobody argued.

            “I don’t give a crap what ya’ condone,” Raph snarled.  “We don’t know what’s happening ta Don.  Every minute we stand around jacking off, he may be closer ta death.  So fuck ya’ and fuck what ya’ condone.”

            “Raphael, hold your temper,” Master Splinter admonished.  “Your brother will not benefit by this arguing.  Surely there is a compromise that would be amicable to both sides.”

            Raph and Nobody stared at one another; neither giving in.  Tsunami cleared his throat.

            “Perhaps you would let me do the questioning?” he asked.  “My technique leaves no marks and gets results surprisingly fast.”

            “The feds are probably gonna water board ‘em anyway,” Mikey said helpfully.

            “Naw, they don’t do that anymore,” Casey told him.

            Mikey smirked and rolled his eyes.  “Ri~ght.”

            “It’s acceptable to me to have Tsunami perform the questioning,” Nobody agreed.

            Somewhat grudgingly, Raph said, “Fine.  I can handle that.”

            “Good.  That should cover everything,” Nobody told them.

            “What if there’s a guard inside the van,” Leo asked in a low voice.

            Nobody’s head came around and the two of them once more locked eyes.

            “You said usually they don’t have an armed guard in the back, but what if they do?” he repeated.

            Raph had forgotten about that, but Leo hadn’t.

            “What are your escape routes?” Leo wanted to know.  “How do you plan to nullify their ability to call for backup?  Suppose they have an escort vehicle, or possibly two?  What happens if they deploy decoy vans; how will you know which is carrying the prisoners?  What will you do if they have a helicopter monitoring their progress?”

            It was obvious he could go on, but Leo chose to stop then and stare pointedly at Nobody.

            Raph wanted to shout his exhilaration.  His damn brother hadn’t been sitting back letting everyone else work; he’d been fucking studying Nobody.  And he sure as shell found Nobody lacking.

            That thought pushed his worries about the two of them out of his head.  No way Leo had a thing going with the guy; not the way he just called Nobody out in front of everyone.

            When this was all over and Don was safely home, Raph was gonna show Leo a better way to use a bed than just sleeping in it.

            “Maybe we should talk,” Nobody said to Leo.

            Leo’s face was immobile as he answered, “Maybe we should.”

            Master Splinter watched the exchange between his eldest son and what he had believed to be Leo’s best friend.  Puzzled and concerned he announced, “Please everyone, let these two complete their plans.  I believe Tsunami has prepared dinner and it would be best if we all managed to eat something.”

            Herding everyone from the room, Master Splinter glanced back over his shoulder.  Neither of the remaining two had moved.

            When the door clicked shut behind the Turtle’s sensei, Nobody approached Leo.

            “There was probably a better way for you to handle that,” Nobody said calmly.  “Raphael already thinks I’m incompetent.”

            “I don’t,” Leo responded.  “That’s why I wonder about all the loose ends in your plan.  Raph says you’ve been distracted and unfocused lately.  It’s bothering him and it’s beginning to bother me.”

            “Now is when we start to have trust issues,” Nobody said bluntly.  Of course, Leo’s face gave nothing away.

            “I’d rather not, but I do have to ask questions.  I have one missing brother and I am putting the lives of the other two in your hands.  Tell me I shouldn’t worry,” Leo said.

            Nobody laughed shortly, an incredulous look on his face.  “Do you think I’m plotting to rid you of your burdens, Leo?  No more brothers, no more obstacles?  I’d rather not have you at all if you think no more of me than that.”

            Leo grimaced.  “Then explain what just happened here.  The Nobody I knew even a month ago wouldn’t have left so many holes in a plan.”

            “Being confused by my feelings for you doesn’t mean I’m trying to kill your brothers, Leonardo.  It means I can’t think straight right now.  I know there’s a lot at stake; that’s why I came here to share this plan with you so you could help me not to make mistakes.”

            Leo ran a palm over his chin and sighed.  “I don’t want to question your motivations, Nobody.  That’s not something I ever want to worry about, no matter what happens between us.”             Nobody moved closer to the bed, his face softening.  “I understand the stress you’re under, Leo.  I want to help.  I just need to find a way to deal with my own inner turmoil so that it doesn’t distract me from the work I’m doing.”

            “Then maybe we should set aside this thing between us until we’re past the current situation,” Leo said.

            Nobody cleared his throat even as he moved once more.  His legs were now touching the edge of Leo’s bed as he looked down into clear amber eyes.

            “Set aside isn’t what you alluded to on the rooftop,”  Nobody pointed out, his voice deepening.

            “I was angry at the time, if you’ll remember,” Leo told him.  He watched as Nobody bent closer.  Leo darted a look at Nobody’s mouth and then glanced back up into the man’s eyes.

            Nobody hesitated.  “I find I’m needing help with my focus,” he admitted.

            Leo nodded.  “Nobody, I can’t think of anything but Donatello right now.  Let’s just talk about your plan and try to iron out all the contingencies.”

            Just as Nobody was straightening, the door burst open and Raph walked in carrying two plates of food.

            His eyes narrowed at the sight of Nobody so close to his brother and he sucked in a huge lungful of air as he struggled not to read anything into their positions.

            “I brought ya’ something ta eat bro’,” Raph said, striding over to Leo.  Looking pointedly at Nobody, he told him, “This other plate is mine.  I think you’ll find your dinner in the kitchen.”

            His suspicious glare followed Nobody out the door.


	41. JF41 Crazy On You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,733  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Don's head is in the clouds but he fights to stay grounded.  
> ~~I'll leave it up to you - DID HE or DIDN'T HE?

            “This is remarkable!” Donatello exclaimed.

            He was looking at the back of his head in the small hand mirror Raptarr had just handed him.  There were no signs of the burns he’d received nearly three days ago.  He’d inspected his legs and arms and now the mirror gave further evidence of his complete recovery.

            “Our physicians learned many secrets from the Y’lyntians which have been passed down through generations of Avians,” Raptarr told him.  “I knew they would be able to heal you.”

            “I don’t know how to thank them,” Don said.

            “There is no need.  You and your brothers helped us in our darkest hour; it is only fitting we should be able to return the favor,” Raptarr said.

            At the mention of his brothers, Don turned to glance at the pieces of his shell cell which were scattered across a tabletop.  He was grateful that Raptarr had kept them even though it was obvious the phone had been crushed beyond repair.  Even beyond Donatello’s ability to repair; parts that needed to be replaced were not to be had in the floating Avian city.

            There was no other way to contact the Earth below them.  The Avian’s and their home were completely isolated from the rest of the planet and that was how they preferred to remain.  Raptarr was the only one of his kind to interact with the surface dwellers.

            “My family knows I’m all right, don’t they?” Don asked again, the second time since awakening.

            “Everything is fine, Donatello.  It is understood that the process of healing may take a bit longer.  You are to remain here until the physicians tell us that your body has accepted our Avian medicines with no adverse effects to yourself,” Raptarr answered.

            Don didn’t notice the way Raptarr’s answer avoided his original question.  The Avian didn’t want to actually lie to his friend, nor did he want him to worry.  Raptarr intended to inform the other Turtles of Don’s well-being as soon as he felt he could do so.

            He had wanted to be present when Don woke up, and now he wanted to remain with Don in case the Turtle had any needs.

            Don walked over to the bench that held the rest of his gear.  The heavy leather of his knee and elbow pads, his wrist guards and belt were lightly singed but salvageable.  His mask was not; the material had crumbled when Raptarr removed it to allow the physicians access to Don’s wounds.

            He felt very naked and exposed without his mask.  A lifetime of wearing one during nearly every waking moment made its loss all the more noticeable.

            Raptarr saw the look and smiled.  “I brought you something, Donatello,” he said and dipped into one of his pockets.  From it he pulled a new mask, the same shape and color as the original, although of a finer material than the Turtles could ever get their hands on.

            Stepping nearer to Don, Raptarr laid the gift gently across the Turtle’s outstretched palms.

            “Thank you Raptarr,” Don said, a smile on his face as he looked up at the Avian.

            Raptarr’s heart flipped over at Don’s bright look.  He would bring a gift to the Turtle every day of his life if he were rewarded with such a look each time.

            “I . . . .”  Raptarr cleared his throat and tried again.  “I am in no hurry for you to wear it if you’re not ready.  The freshly healed skin on your head may still be tender.  Besides, it is somewhat refreshing to see you without the mask.”

            Don could feel his face flush with warmth at the lilt in Raptarr’s voice when he said those words.  The way Raptarr’s eyes searched his own told him that what Chrysalis had said was true; Raptarr wanted him.

            The Turtle flushed further when he realized he wanted Raptarr in return.

            But then the promise he gave to Chrys came back to him.  She wanted Raptarr as well and had appealed to Donatello for his assistance in furthering her goals.  Her argument was that she was the more appropriate choice as a mate because she could fulfill Raptarr’s most basic need.

            And although his brain was currently not functioning at a hundred percent capacity, it suddenly dawned on him that what she’d alluded to might not be possible for her either.  Mating and procreation were two different things.  Don couldn’t produce offspring for Raptarr, that was obvious, but Chrysalis probably couldn’t either.  They were not the same species.

            Don would have been overjoyed at that revelation but for two things; the promise he’d already given Chrys, and the one he’d given to his brothers two years ago.

            Raptarr noticed Don’s heightened color, even against the olive green background, and although he wasn’t sure what it signified he hoped it had something to do with the way Don was looking at him.  The expression on his friend’s face was full of desire and the intensity of it sent a shiver down Raptarr’s spine.

            The Avian moved closer to Don, his wings opening slightly in reaction to the call of his mating instinct.  Don’s hands were still out, the new purple mask in a tight grip, forgotten as the Turtle’s head tipped back in wonder at Raptarr’s proximity.

            Did the Avian already know how Don was feeling?  How could he when Don himself hadn’t acknowledged it until moments ago.  At least not consciously; maybe he’d said something while he slept, the way Leo had when he talked about Nobody.

            That thought sent another cold wave to slap Don back to reality just as he felt Raptarr’s tight abdomen touch his hands.

            With a start, Don stepped back quickly and turned towards the windows that lined one wall.  It was growing dark outside and he could see his reflection in them well enough to settle his new mask on his face and adjust it properly before tying it off.  He could also see Raptarr behind him, unmoving since Don had walked away.

            Don squeezed his eyes shut as he completed the knot that would hold the mask in place.  It pained him to see the dejected slump of Raptarr’s shoulders and the confused look on the Avian’s face.

            _“Maybe if he can’t read mine so well I can find a way to pretend that nothing is happening between us,”_ Don thought before he turned around again, feeling more in control now that the comfort of purple once more adorned his face.

            “It’s a perfect fit,” Don said in a light, and he hoped, offhand manner.

            Raptarr was at a loss.  He was sure Don reciprocated his feelings; he had seen Don start to lean towards him.  What had happened?

            “Donatello.”  Raptarr stopped when he noticed his voice was two octaves lower than normal and husky with desire.

            “My bo,” Don said, as though Raptarr hadn’t spoken.  The ninja strode across the room and lifted his staff from where it leaned against the wall.  Turning the heavy wood in his hands, he was happy to see the fire damage to it was minimal; nothing a light sanding and a new wrap couldn’t fix.

            “Donatello.”  Raptarr tried again.  “Could we talk a moment?”

            Don’s grip tightened on the bo.  The last thing he wanted to do was allow Raptarr to make any kind of confession to him.

            “You know, I really feel just fine,” Don rushed to say.  “I’d sort of like to go home and check on my bro’s.  Especially Leo; I’m afraid he injured himself again at the warehouse and we don’t have any Avian physicians in the sewers.”

            Raptarr looked down at the floor and his gut twisted.  He couldn’t lose Don before he had a chance to try to bond to him.  Even now he could feel the burn in his wings; his most primal instinct taking control in a way he could barely hold back.

            The need to feel Don’s hands caress the curve of his wingspan again; to feel Donatello’s fingers as they parted his feathers washed over Raptarr and left him breathless.

            A familiar ache in his lower regions made him turn and walk over to the refreshment cart standing to the side of the room.  Willing his hands not to shake, he filled two glasses from the pitcher of cold nectar and took them both back to where Don stood.

            Don took the glass offered to him and sipped.  The liquid was slightly sweet, and soothing to his throat, and he drank again.

            Raptarr sipped from his glass and said, “Don, leaving now is not the best idea.  The physicians told me they have no idea how your mutation will react to the medication they gave you.  It is preferred that you remain here until they are comfortable they’ve not done more harm than good.”

            “Surely if something adverse were going to affect me it would already have manifested itself,” Don told him, happy to talk about anything other than Raptarr’s feelings for him.

            He needed time to think; Don wanted to look at every angle of his current situation before he decided what to do.  If he could just figure out how to get Chrys to release him from his promise, and maybe his brothers as . . . his brothers . . . .

            Don suddenly felt very drowsy and more than a little dizzy.  He could feel the glass start to slide from his hand and saw in slow motion Raptarr catching it and quickly setting both their glasses aside.

            “Don, are you all right?” Raptarr asked.

            The sound seemed to come from a distance and Don fought to focus his eyes.

            “’M not feeling . . . .” he managed to say and felt his knees give way.

            Raptarr caught him.  “It’s the medication.  You shouldn’t have been on your feet for so long.  Come, I’ll help you back to bed.”

            Don thought he nodded his acquiescence; he wasn’t sure because his head felt very heavy.  Unable to lift it, he stared at the floor as Raptarr helped him move.

            Don’s glance passed over the two glasses where they sat side by side on the ground.  Raptarr’s looked untouched, although Don was sure he’d seen the Avian drink from it.

            Just before losing consciousness, Don had a passing thought that maybe he’d been drugged.


	42. JF42 Contest Of Wills

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,173  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: A challenge of sorts is issued and accepted.

            “Spending time with you is opening up a whole new world for me,” Tsunami said.  “I am learning to be an alley connoisseur.”

            He and Raphael were currently crouched next to a garbage bin at the head of an extremely narrow alley.

            “Hmm,” Raph responded distractedly, “I would’ve thought slinking through alleys to be kinda a natural thing for ya’.”

            Tsunami could tell he had something on his mind.  Raph’s eyes were restless; his hands in constant motion on the grips of his weapons.

            “Are you always this tense while waiting for a plan to come to fruition?” Tsunami asked.

            “Who said I’m tense?” Raph snapped.  “I just wanna get this shit over with so I can find my brother.”

            Tsunami studied him.  “You care about Donatello deeply, don’t you?”

            Minutes passed and Tsunami thought Raph wouldn’t answer.

            Then a soft sigh.  “Yeah,” Raph admitted.

            Tsunami let another minute pass.  “I never had a brother.”

            Raph shifted positions and leaned a shoulder against the garbage bin.  “Well, don’t look ta me for help with that.”

            Tsunami chuckled, “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

            Raph turned his head to look at him.  “So why were ya’ hovering next ta my hammock last night while I was asleep?”

            The blue mutant found himself somewhat startled by the directness of the question.  After he had gotten Raphael to fall asleep under the shower, he’d created a water slide to carry the exhausted Turtle into his own room.  With Raph safely deposited in his hammock, Tsunami had decided to remain with him.

            “I wanted to meditate and your room was quiet,” Tsunami answered, meeting Raph’s eyes.

            The gold in them glittered.  “Some reason ya’ couldn’t just sit on the floor?  And by the way, I know I snore.”

            Tsunami grinned.  “Suspended on a cushion of water is much more comfortable than your hard concrete floor.  Also, I must agree, you certainly do snore.  It was rather a nice mantra to focus on.”

            Raph snorted. “You’re so full of shit.  How deep do ya’ fucking go when ya’ meditate?  Master Splinter can crawl in someone’s head when he goes under.  Were ya’ trying ta get inside mine or something?”

            “Although I greatly enjoy hearing what comes out of your mouth Raphael, I have no desire to see what goes on inside your head,” Tsunami said.

            “Whatever,” Raph told him.  “Ya’ ever do try some crap like that, I’ll fucking punch a few holes in your skull with my sai.”

            “Duly noted,” Tsunami said.

            They were quiet again.  Tsunami’s mind turned to last night and his vigil.  His motivation for remaining in Raph’s room while the Turtle slept had nothing to do with meditation or the need for solitude.  He simply wanted to watch Raph sleep.

            Raph broke the silence.  “So how come ya’ guys don’t just go ta the police and ask ‘em what’s going on?  Why the sneaking around?  It ain’t like ya’ have ta hide from them; you’re the Justice Force.”

            Tsunami chuckled.  “Your ideas about our clout is nearly as naïve as Michelangelo’s.  Unlike the characters in his comic books, law enforcement actually has little tolerance for our activities when they converge with their own.  We are quite welcome to assist with large scale emergencies; but when it comes to regular police business, things are on a strict ‘hands off’ basis.  They simply do not welcome our interference.  That is why Nobody continues to operate as a vigilante and why Raptarr soars overhead at night.”

            “And what about ya’?” Raph asked.

            “Me?” Tsunami smiled.  “I wait for someone else to find some excitement and then I involve myself.”

            “Ya’ butt in,” Raph said.

            “As eloquent as always,” Tsunami replied.

            Raph eyed him.  “So is that why ya’ keep hanging around me?”

            “Why else?” Tsunami shrugged in what he hoped was a convincingly nonchalant manner.

            Raph wasn’t taken in.  With a smirk, he said, “Oh, I ain’t blind and I ain’t as naïve as ya’ seem ta think I am.”

            With an incredulous stare, Tsunami asked, “You wish to discuss this now?”

            “Ya’ got something else ta do?  Did ya’ bring some cards with ya’?” Raph responded sarcastically.

            “Why exactly do you think I’m, as you put it, ‘hanging around’ you?” Tsunami turned so he could see Raph better.

            “I think ya’ got a thing for me,” Raph answered in his usual no nonsense manner.

            “You seem awfully sure of yourself,” Tsunami said.

            “Tell me I’m wrong then,” Raph said complacently.

            “While I’m not above a bit of prevaricating, I don’t think it’s necessary at this time,” Tsunami replied.

            “See, why ya’ gotta go all sissy with those big words?  Why don’t ya’ just say ya’ ain’t gonna lie about it?” Raph asked.

            Tsunami narrowed his eyes as he asked, “What is your reaction to my revelation?”

            Raph chuckled.  “Ya’ ain’t exactly made one, Tsu.  Ya’ keep dancing around the subject.  But I’m gonna let ya’ off the hook of embarrassing yourself, ‘cause I’m feeling friendly at the moment.  I know ya’ ain’t blind either and ya’ ain’t stupid.  Annoying, but not stupid.  I think ya’ know I’m already spoken for.”

            “An arrangement of necessity . . . .” Tsunami began.

            Raph’s palm in his face stopped him.  “Don’t bother playing that mind game with yourself.  It just so happens I like what I got with my bro’s.  Ya’ can call it what ya’ want; what it boils down ta is I’m not available.”

            “Then I shall have to accept that answer with good graces,” Tsunami said.  “I hope that doesn’t mean we cannot continue to have this adventure together.”

            Raph shrugged, “Whatever lights your candle.  If ya’ wanna keep torturing yourself be my guest.”

            “I’m thrilled you’re willing to continue to humor me,” Tsunami replied.

            “Uh huh.  I can be kind seeing as how you’re suffering and all,” Raph smiled slyly.

            Tsunami laughed.  “I can see you’re going to become insufferable over this.  Suppose I take it all back and say it was a joke?”

            “Go ahead,” Raph was smug.  “Don’t make any difference ta me either way.”

            “You are really quite proud of yourself aren’t you?” Tsunami asked.

            Raph flipped a hand over in a dismissive gesture.  “Ain’t my problem Tsu, it’s yours.  Once that van gets here I ain’t gonna be thinking about your crush or about ya’ anymore.”

            Tsunami placed a hand over his heart in mock pain.  “Touché.  I am mortally wounded.  And here I thought, given time, I would wear down your defenses.”

            “I ain’t that easy,” Raph said.

            “Then you won’t begrudge my continuing efforts?” Tsunami asked.

            “Knock yourself out,” Raph told him, taking it as a challenge.  “Seems a waste of time ta me, but ya’ appear ta have plenty of that.  Just keep your hands ta yourself if ya’ wanna keep ‘em.”

            _“Yo Raph.”_   The speaker on Raph’s shell cell crackled with Casey’s voice.

            “Yeah,” Raph answered.

            _“They’re comin’ bud.  Ya’ ready?”_   Casey asked.

            “I was born ready pal.  Let’s start this dance,” Raph said.


	43. JF43 Unflappable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,561  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Mikey comes up fighting and finds an unusual ally.

            Ananda sat inside the Tortuga Brothers moving truck with Mikey while they waited for Nobody’s call.  The car Ananda had ‘borrowed’ was parked nearby.  She had chosen it because it was a dark color and fairly nondescript.

            She would replace it if she had to; if it got trashed in their operation.  Ananda knew nothing about the car’s owner, but guessed they could ill afford the loss of their car.  If it survived the night, she was determined to repair the faulty transmission as a thank you.  Not that she would ever let them know who had taken the vehicle in the first place.

            Her small bag of tools was slung across her hips and Mikey noticed it when she climbed into the truck’s cab and sat in the passenger seat next to him.

            “Don could never travel with such a light load,” he said, grinning.

            Ananda followed his eyes to her tool bag and nodded.  “He has to carry a lot of things I don’t really require,” she explained.

            “Yeah, I guess you don’t need coils of rope, or flashlights, or pigeon puppets,” Mikey replied.

            Ananda turned her head and asked, “Pigeon what?”

            Laughing lightly, Mikey told her, “He’ll have to explain that one.”

            “O~kay,” she said, somewhat dubiously.

            “By the way, thanks for helping us tonight,” Mikey said.  “It was asking a lot of you to swipe a car and volunteer to be the barricade against a potential battering ram.”

            Ananda laughed.  “Say nothing of it.  This is actually rather fun.  And Tsunami won’t let the van get enough traction to move, much less ram into anything.  He’s a pro.”

            “Is Nobody a pro too?”  Mikey asked, curious to hear her thoughts on her Justice Force teammates.  He had never really gotten a chance to talk to Ananda all that much.

            Her glance told him she understood the question.  “Yes, I think he is.  Look Mikey, what happened last night, that wasn’t normal for him.  His plans have always been well thought out and exact.  He would never even begin something if he hadn’t allowed for every contingency to make sure no one was hurt.  He’s just . . . tired.  And feeling guilty,” she said by way of explanation.

            Mikey shrugged.  “I’m not trying to be judgmental.  I’ve worked with him before you know.  I’m just used to Leo and the way he plans things.”  He laughed.  “Geez, I always ride him about being so anal.  I guess I never stopped to think about how when we follow him on a mission I don’t ever worry about anything except doing what he told me to do.”

            “Are you worried now?” she asked.

            “Well, not so much ‘cause I know Leo tweaked this plan and gave it his blessing,” Mikey answered.

            Ana sighed.  “I’m always so impressed at the amount of trust there is between the four of you.”

            Mikey shifted in his seat to a more comfortable position.  “We’ve been together our whole lives and we know what’s at stake.  Master Splinter raised us to depend on each other and trained us to work as a team.”

            “I like that.  It must have been nice to have such a strong father raising you,” Ananda replied, a wistful sound in her voice.

            Mikey’s tone was sympathetic as he said, “No mom or dad growing up must have sucked.  But you’ve got your dad now, and he’s totally proud of you.”

            Ana’s glance was grateful.  “Did I ever thank you guys for stepping in to prevent me from killing him?”

            Mikey grinned.  “Oh, yeah a few times.  You’re welcome.”

            Ana leaned back against the seat and sighed.  A comfortable silence fell between them for a few moments, and then Ana said softly, “I checked on Nano before I left JF headquarters.”

            Mikey blinked rapidly as his emotions shifted.  “I wanted to see him today, but I was afraid Raph would get upset again if I went too soon.”

            “He’s doing well, actually.  Mikey, can I apologize for something?”  Ana asked.

            Mikey turned his head to study her.  “Um, sure.  For what?”

            She flipped a hand in the air, a gesture to hide her nervousness.  “I sort of treated your relationship with Nano as a joke when I first heard about it.  But I can tell it was really important to you.”

            Her use of the past tense didn’t escape him and he drew in a shuddering breath.  “It’s okay Ananda.  No one understood; not even me sometimes.  I never thought an artificially created life form could develop true emotions.  But he did; Nano really did.”

            Ana reached over and touched his shoulder lightly.  “Then tell me you aren’t giving up on him, Michelangelo.  Maybe I’m a romantic at heart, but I prefer to think of this as though Nano has amnesia and eventually everything will come back to him.  Worst case, he won’t remember and will have to learn it all over again.  He’ll learn about you all over again.  It could be fun.”

            Mikey perked up a little at her words.  “You think so?  I guess I’ve been sad to think of all the stuff we’ve been through together being lost.  You know, like our first time together; important stuff like that.”

            “It’s not lost if you remember,” she said.  “Once he’s completely repaired you two can spend time together making new memories for him.  I’m sure you’ll enjoy the challenge.”

            Mikey grinned.  Talking to Ananda was sort of like talking to April; she had that big sister vibe that made him very comfortable.

            “You should come on our missions more often,” he told her.

            “So I can steal cars?” Ananda lifted an eyebrow and laughed.  “That’s not the best use of my talents, but then you guys have Donatello so you don’t really need someone with my skills.”

            He liked that she was so positive about Don’s return.  “Hey, if we’re as good as we are with one Don, think how awesome we’d be with two.”

            Ananda suddenly blushed.  Mikey leaned towards her; extremely curious now as to what he could have said to make her get so flustered.

            “I, umm, hope he’s not too upset with me for touching his things,” she said lamely.

            “You were saving Leo’s life; I doubt he’ll think twice about it,” Mikey said quietly.  A slow grin spread over his face.  “You like Don don’t you?”

            Stammering, Ananda said, “I l-like all of you.”  She flushed even further, her ears turning red.

            “Don’t ever try to lie Ana, you’re really bad at it,” Mikey informed her.  “Come on, tell me.  I can keep it to myself.”

            Ananda shrugged, and then realized Mikey wouldn’t let her get away with that as an answer.  With a sigh, she said, “Yes, I like Donatello.  I like him a lot.”

            “As in ‘maybe I’ve got a crush on him’ kinda like?”  Mikey pushed.

            Ana gave him a little laugh.  “Maybe you should be the one questioning those guys once we have them instead of Tsunami.  You don’t give up, do you?”

            “Nope,” he answered.  “So am I right?”

            Wiggling on the seat under his scrutiny, Ana finally said.  “Okay.  Maybe I have a little crush on Don.”

            Mikey crowed, “Ho I’m good!  I knew it!  You’re totally gonna tell him when he gets back, aren’t you?”

            “Oh God, Mikey.  I don’t know.  What would be the point?  I’ve come to understand a few things in the last couple of days; things about the relationship you guys have with each other.  I can’t hope to compete with that, and I don’t think I’d want to.”

            “So why do you have to compete?” Mikey asked.

            Ananda looked at him in surprise.  “What are you talking about?”

            “Everyone always thinks in terms of ownership, that’s what I’m talking about.  My brothers and I don’t ‘pair off’.  We love and respect each other and we each give and take as needed.  Why can’t I do the same with Nano and you with Don?” he wanted to know.

            Ana stared out of the front window, her face still hot, and said, “I don’t know Mikey.  I always thought of myself as being fairly conventional.  You’re talking about sharing, aren’t you?”

            “I am,” Mikey said bluntly.  “Why does everyone dismiss it out of hand?  Who’s to say you can’t be as deeply in love with two as you are with one?  I don’t have any less desire or love for my bro’s just because I have a relationship with Nano.”

            “You don’t?” she asked curiously.

            “Nope.  In fact, I think maybe I appreciate everything I have even more,” he said.

            “You are fascinating, Mikey.  Has anyone ever told you that?” Ananda wanted to know.

            Mikey nodded, a satisfied look on his face, “Yeah. Donatello.”

            _“Michelangelo.”_   Nobody’s voice came through his shell cell.

            “Right here, Nobody,” Mikey replied.

_“You and Ananda get into position.  The van is almost here.”_

            “Roger that,” Mikey said with a grin.

            Ananda already had the passenger door open.  As she jumped out, Mikey said, “Hey.”

            She turned around and leaned over the seat to look back at him.  “Yes?”

            “Be safe, okay?  And, you know, think about what I said.  I’d be happy to share my bro’ with you; you’re kinda awesome.”

            For the second time that night, Ananda blushed.  “You know what, Mikey?  So are you.”


	44. JF44 Talk To Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,709  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Time for an open, honest discussion - in the midst of battle?

            Nobody wore an earpiece and mini-microphone directly connected to Leonardo.

            The frequency was set so no one else could hear what was said between them; an arrangement which suited them both.  Leo needed to feel as if he were there, and this was as close to that as they could get. 

            Nobody wanted to be sure Leo’s words didn’t accidently countermand his authority, a distinct possibility considering the Turtle’s two brothers had doubts about the dark vigilante.

            Nobody kept to himself his need to talk to Leo privately.  So many things needed to be said, and in his chosen profession, tomorrow was not guaranteed. None of his people or the other Turtles needed to know that Nobody and Leo had progressed beyond normal friendship into something else.  Nobody didn’t know yet what that ‘something else’ was; he hoped they would soon get a chance to define that.

            Or he hoped they would, once they had found Donatello.

            Nobody had discovered that in his administrative capacity with the police he was able to learn more than he ever had as one of the rank and file.  He interacted regularly with the personnel office and through his contacts there, discovered who had been assigned to prisoner transportation duty.

            That knowledge gave him another important piece of information; they were going to use decoy vans and an escort patrol car.  Two men per van, two men per car should have equaled twelve total police officers, but he found out thirteen men were being paid for hazard duty.

            Thirteen meant one of the vans would have an officer in the back.  He wasn’t concerned about the decoy vans since he already knew the route to be taken by the van they needed to hijack; but he had needed to know about the extra officer.

            He was also relieved to know they were using regular NYPD and no one from homeland security.  Nobody knew what members of his police force were trained to do; he had no idea how much training the federal guys had.

            Talking to a fleet maintenance man, he discovered that one of the police helicopters would be on the pad and on stand-by, but would not be deployed unless a distress call came in from either the van or the escort car.

            He and Leo had talked for an hour about the best way to deal with the police radio.  This was the part of an operation Leo usually left to Don and Nobody saw again how much the Turtles depended on their smart brother.

            Ananda came in as they were part-way through the discussion and suggested that one of her Domeoids could plant a radio scrambler atop the van and escort car once they were both on route.  The little robotic creation wouldn’t even be noticed if it flew in during a moment when both vehicles were out of sight of each other, like when they were turning a corner.

            Then Jones made a crack about shining a flashlight into the cop’s eyes when they opened the back door of the van so he couldn’t see to shoot them. 

            Mikey said if they were going to swipe a couple of wooden barricades to use in their charade, they might as well raid a construction site for one of their big work lights.  With a grin, Jones and Raph disappeared, returning two hours later with the barricades and a large light tower.

            Jones also brought several packages of pillow cases, “the good kind ya’ can’t see through”.  Nobody didn’t ask where Jones had got them; they would indeed make fine hoods.

            The large work light made it unnecessary for Tsunami to have to divide his attention between the back of the van and the officers in the front.  With those lights in their eyes, they weren’t going to be able to shoot, for fear of hitting their own man.

            Various other details were worked out, such as their escape routes and the location where they would take their prisoners for questioning.  Since that part was Tsunami’s responsibility, the choice was of course near water.

            Leo had a backup plan for every part of the original plan, including the remote possibility of their having to abandon the whole thing to save themselves from discovery.  Raph balked at that one; now that the idea of some sort of action had settled in he wasn’t willing to listen to any plan that included retreating.  It took all of Jones’ experience with the hot head to talk him into agreeing he would follow all parts of the plan to the letter.

            So far everything had gone off without a hitch.  Everyone was in place and waiting.  Raphael had loosened the cap on the corner fire hydrant enough so a hard spin would open it to release the water Tsunami needed to flood the street and to force open the back of the transport van.

            Jones was fidgeting in the shadow of the building across the street.  He complained that the police uniform he was being forced to wear was too tight and too itchy.

            Nobody allowed himself a smile as he recalled how Raphael had snapped at his friend, “Damn, you’re whining like a little bitch.”

            Something must have been audible as Leo’s voice came over the ear piece.  _“What’s funny?”_

            “Just your brother and Jones.  How long have they been friends?” Nobody asked.

            Leo chuckled as he answered,  _“A few years.  Theirs is something of a comedy routine when they aren’t out beating down bad guys.”_

            “They sound like an old married couple.”  There was just the slightest touch of a question in his voice and Leo picked up on it.

            _“Nope, not those two.  Casey is completely hetero and totally devoted to April.  And Raph is . . . .”_ he went from open to silent in seconds.

            Nobody finished for him, “Raphael is totally devoted to you.”

            After a momentary pause, Leo’s quiet voice came through.  _“Yes.”_

            “We can talk about this, you know.  Even if we can’t figure out a way to go further with this thing between us, I’d like to think we’ve gotten close enough for you to share your thoughts with me.  Everyone needs someone they can talk to, Leonardo,” Nobody told him.

            _“I have family,”_ Leo reminded him softly.

            “You have a position that is unique in your family, Leo.  There are so many things you hold back because you don’t want your father to worry about you and you don’t want your brothers to see any weakness,”  Nobody said.

            He thought he heard Leo sigh.  _“I accepted my responsibilities Nobody.  They weren’t forced on me.”_

            “I understand that,” Nobody responded.  “It doesn’t mean the burden of them has to be borne alone.  Maybe that’s why Raph and Jones are so close; not being related to each other gives them an outlet with no strings attached.”

            _“We don’t really have that though, do we?”_ Leo told him, his well-modulated voice somewhat flat.

            Nobody suppressed a touch of impatience.  “We won’t have anything if we can’t talk this through Leo.  Tell me something, what happened a couple of weeks ago that made you ask me if I was involved with anyone?”

            The silence dragged on this time as Nobody waited.  He knew Leo well enough to know he would eventually answer; he was just taking his time deciding how.

            _“I couldn’t sleep the night before,”_ he said.  _“I kept thinking about you.  About how well we seemed to fit.  I found I wasn’t thinking about us as friends anymore.”_   He stopped abruptly.

            Nobody’s eyes closed at his admission and he let the warmth of it roll through his tired body.

            “Do you remember what I said when you asked if I needed to be with a woman?” Nobody asked.

            Nobody thought he heard Leo shift on his bed.  _“Yes.  You said ‘not necessarily’.”_

            “That was a moment of weakness for me, admitting that to you.  I’ve been in denial ever since; coming up with every reason imaginable why we shouldn’t pursue this.  But the fact remains that I answered your question that way because I too was having sleepless nights.”

            Leo laughed lightly.  _“Do you think if we tried a little harder we could complicate things some more?”_

            “No,” Nobody said, laughing as well.  “I think Lady Fate has stepped in enough to take care of that for us.”

            _“This talk, it’s not really solving anything, is it?”_ Leo asked slowly.

            Nobody released a long breath and said, “Not really.  I wouldn’t expect it to, seeing how many obstacles there are in our path, including the ones we’ve both shoved there.  Can I admit right here that I sometimes have immoral thoughts about you?”

            The tone was lighthearted and Leo responded in kind.  _“Funny how those things are easier to admit when you aren’t staring into someone’s face.  You’ve kissed me twice Nobody, I think that revelation came a little late.”_

            “For a ninja, you’re damn honest,” Nobody said.

            _“Yes I am,”_ Leo said.  _“Tell me how honest you were when you brought up the differences in our age.”_

            “I was honest,” Nobody admitted.  “The age thing bothered me . . . bothers me.  I want to be fair with you; I know couples deal with that issue all the time, but for me it seems I would be doing you a disservice.”

 _“You should probably release me so I can go out and play the field,”_ Leo quipped _.  “I have so many options available.”_

            “Point taken,” Nobody said.  “That brings up our other major obstacle.  Your brothers.”

            _“That one we are definitely not going to solve tonight,”_ Leo said quickly.

            “I bring it up, you dodge.  You bring it up, I dodge,” Nobody said.  “This one is going to be much harder to deal with than the age thing, isn’t it?  Because, in essence – you’re married.”

            Before Leo could respond, the police radio on Nobody’s belt crackled with useless static.

            “Hold onto that thought, Leo.  The van is close.  It’s time,” Nobody told him.

            Rising, he signaled Jones and called Michelangelo.

            Leo, alone on his bed in the infirmary, clutched his communicator tightly and thought again how difficult it was to relinquish control.


	45. JF45 Wayward Son

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 2,343  
> Rated: R  
> Summary: Deeply frustrated, Raphael is looking for an outlet for his rawest emotions.

            “I don’t fucking believe them.  Ask again,” Raph snarled at Tsunami.

            Tsunami looked up at the Turtle and saw his rage.  Glancing quickly at Nobody, Tsunami shrugged and called another water ball up from the ocean, directing it over the faces of the five captives sprawled on the deserted pier.

            The water ball split evenly and drifted down slowly.  The men couldn’t see the water coming, their heads being covered completely by heavy pillowcases; but they could hear the sloshing sound, and smell the salt water.

            One of the men was shaking and gibbering before the water even touched his face.  Another shrieked loudly as the first hint of moisture touched him. 

            All five would have jumped to their feet and run if they could, but they were pinned to the pier by water manacles on their wrists and ankles.

            Tsunami paused, making Raphael growl.

            “I think they’ve told us all they know, Raph,” Tsunami told him quietly.

            They had pulled the five from the back of the prison transport van without a hitch.  The police had not seen them, no one was hurt and they made the hour long trip to the pier without being molested.

            The hardest part of the entire plan to grab these prisoners away from the police had been that long drive.  They needed time to question their captives and had to be out of the range of the police search.  It was all they could do to keep Raph from pounding answers out of them before they ever reached their destination.

            The combined team of ninja Turtles and Justice Force members were sure these men knew where Donatello was.  These men worked for whoever was manufacturing cyanide tipped bullets, these men had set fire to the warehouse to cover up their crime; these were the men who had attacked Tsunami as he extinguished the fire and these were the men Raph knocked out when he rushed into the warehouse to save the blue mutant.

            Behind him had come Donatello, carrying gas masks and anxious with worry that Raphael had succumbed to smoke or cyanide or both.  That was the last anyone had seen of the purple banded turtle in three days.

            “They haven’t told us a damn thing!” Raph spit out.

            “They’ve given us another location to continue our search, Raphael.  The office they told us about may be where they are keeping Donatello.  If not, someone there should be able to tell us more,” Nobody said.

            “All ya’ care about is finding out who’s been making them fucking bullets,” Raph accused Nobody.  “All I care about is getting my bro’ back.  These guys claim they don’t know anything about him and I say they’re lying!”

            “Maybe they just aren’t high enough on the food chain,” Mikey  suggested to his brother.

            “And maybe ya’ should shut the fuck up,” Raph barked.  “When’s the last time ya’ questioned anyone out here on the streets, Mikey?  Huh?  When?  Like never?”

            “Well I have, Raph,” Casey said.  “And I gotta say I think they don’t know no more.  I think if Don got kidnapped, it wasn’t by this group and they don’t know anything about it.”

            Raph’s eyes narrowed.  “One good way ta be sure would be ta let ‘em know we’re serious.  I say we let Tsu drown one of ‘em.”

            His words set off a chain reaction that had all five men screaming at the top of their lungs and struggling against their bonds.

            Ananda’s eyes were wide and she looked from the men to Raph and then over to the rest of the group.  Joining them on the pier had initially been exciting, but now she was scared.  She had never experienced Raph’s temper and wondered how his brothers managed to live with him.

            Mikey moved close to her and touched his arm to hers.  “His bark’s worse than his bite,” he whispered.

            She gave him a small, grateful smile.  At least he didn’t appear phased by his older brother’s outburst.

            “That’s enough.”  Nobody stepped forward and touched his hand to Tsunami’s shoulder.  “We’ve been questioning them for two hours.  They’ve told us everything.  We have to get them back to the police now or we risk getting caught.”

            “No!”  Raph jammed his face into Nobody’s.  “They go no place until I know where Don is.”

            Tsunami stood up.  “Raphael, you’ve trusted me to question people before.  Trust me now when I say these men have no more information to give us.”

            Ananda spoke up, “I’m sorry Raphael, but we’ve reached the two hour limit.  The Triazolam derivative I gave these men will wear off soon.  If we don’t want them to remember anything about us, we need to send them back now.”

            “Then shoot ‘em up with more,” he snapped at her.

            In a small voice, Ananda said, “I haven’t anymore.  All I have now is the Ketamine to knock them out for the return trip.  I wouldn’t dare give them more of either anyway, the drug interaction isn’t recommended.”

            “Now you’re worried about _them_?” Raph hissed at her.

            “Leave her alone, Raph,” Mikey said sharply.  “She did more than we asked and is taking a big chance giving them these drugs at all.”

            Raph stared at Mikey and his brother stared back.  “Ya’ giving up on Donny, Mike?”

            “You know Raph, if it was anyone but you asking that, I’d realign their jawbone,” Mikey told him calmly.

            Tsunami stepped over the captives in order to move closer to Raphael.  In a low voice he asked, “Do you think I’ve done everything possible to get the truth from them?”

            Raph’s head whipped around.  Ananda grabbed Mikey’s arm, afraid the angry Turtle was about to lash out at Tsunami.

            Raph nearly did.  His fists closed but something in Tsunami’s look stopped him.  The blue mutant didn’t flinch under Raph’s menacing gaze and his posture wasn’t defensive.  He seemed merely curious, wanting nothing more than an answer to his question.

            Exhaling hugely, Raph nodded once.

            “Ananda, if you please,” Nobody said.

            Ananda released Mikey’s arm and stepped tentatively over to the captives, her eyes on Raphael.  He didn’t look at her, keeping his gaze locked with Tsunami’s.

            Removing five small syringes from her pouch, she injected each captive with a sedative.  After a minute, they were lying still, drugged into unconsciousness.

            Tsunami did not take his eyes off Raph’s as he lifted a hand to remove the water manacles and send the rest of the water balls back into the ocean.

            As Ananda opened the rear door of the moving truck, Mikey, Nobody and Casey carried the captives into the back, piling them together unceremoniously.  No one said a word to Raph or Tsunami; they were just relieved that the water spirit had found some way to calm the ninja hot head.

            Finally, everyone was in the truck except those two.  Mikey jumped down and walked over to stand next to his brother.

            “Come on Raph.  Let’s dump these guys and go check on Leo,” he said.

            Raph glanced at him then away, his eyes and body turning towards the ocean.

            “Nah.  Ain’t ready ta go back and listen ta Fearless right now,” Raph said.

            Tsunami stepped away, turning so as to give the two brothers a private moment.  Mikey put his hand on Raph’s shoulder, felt it twitch and tightened his grip slightly.

            Raph didn’t pull away, and after a second, Mikey started to rub his brother’s arm.

            “I wanna find Donny, Raph,” Mikey whispered, his voice shaking as he leaned in close to Raph.  “I c . . . can’t stand not knowing where he is.  What if . . . what if we never find him?  Are we gonna fall apart like th . . . that nightmare world he was in?”

            Turning quickly, Raph grabbed Mikey and pulled him close.  “No!  Don’t even fucking say that out loud, do ya’ hear me?  We ain’t gonna let that happen ‘cause we’re gonna find him.  Ya’ tell me ya’ know it, okay?  Tell me,” he demanded forcefully.

            Mikey buried his face in Raph’s shoulder.  “We’ll find him.  We will find Donny and everything will be good again,” he spoke softly but with as much conviction as he could muster; needing to believe it as much for himself as for Raph.

            Raph pushed him back.  “Go get rid of those bastards.  I’ll come home soon, okay?  I just need . . . I need ta run, Mikey.  I need ta run so I don’t claw myself out of my own skin.”

            Mikey nodded his understanding and moved back to the truck.  He glanced once more at his brother before climbing in to the driver’s seat.

            Nobody leaned out of the passenger side window and called, “Get in Tsunami.  We’re leaving.”

            Tsunami looked up at him and said, “Go on.  I’m going to stay with Raph.”

            “Get in the fucking truck and go, Tsu.  I ain’t in the mood for company right now.” Raph growled.

            Turning back towards Raph, Tsunami spotted the faintest hint of darker red below the eyes on Raph’s mask.

            Waving the truck away, Tsunami said, “I’m not in the mood either, and I’d just as soon not ride in a truck full of people.”

            They watched the truck pull away and then Raph started walking.  Tsunami waited until he was about fifty feet ahead of him before he began to follow.

            Raph walked for a while, his head down, not acknowledging Tsunami’s presence.  Tsunami maintained his distance, walking silently behind the Turtle.

            Finally, Raph started to run.  He was fast; driven by some powerful emotion that he seemed to be trying to outrace.  Tsunami worked hard to keep him in sight; for reasons he couldn’t quite explain, he didn’t want Raph to be alone.

            Streets flashed by; entire city blocks vanished as they sped past.  Tsunami wondered how often Raphael did this, and why.

            More than an hour they ran; Raph never seemed to tire.  Maybe that was it, Tsunami thought, or at least part of it; to have so much pent up power and no outlet for it could drive someone to do unusual things.

            When Raph suddenly darted into an alley, Tsunami thought he was ready to dive back into the sewers and go home.  Turning into the alley after his friend, he slammed to a stop when he almost ran directly into Raph, who stood facing him.

            “That’s an excellent way to get run over,” Tsunami blurted.  “Next time alert me so I don’t plow into you.”

            Without warning, Raph had him by the throat again, shoving Tsunami hard against a brick wall.

            Tsunami pushed against the Turtles plastron with one hand while he grabbed Raph’s wrist with the other.  “Dammit Raphael, I’m going to start resenting . . . mmph!”

            That was as far as he got in his protest because suddenly, Raph’s mouth was on his.

            The kiss was brutal and fast.  Raph pulled his head away and stared at Tsunami, his gold eyes glittering in the dim light.  Tsunami was panting hard and wondering what had happened to steal so much of his breath away.

            “There, that shut ya’ up,” Raph said in a vicious whisper.

            No pushover, Tsunami’s hand left Raph’s chest and reached out to grip the back of the Turtle’s neck, pulling him close.  Raph tried to resist, but Tsunami was much stronger than he appeared, and in seconds their mouths were pressed together again.

            Tsunami had waited a long time for this and he was hungry.  His tongue flicked across Raph’s lips, seeking entry.

            With something like a low growl, Raph stopped struggling against the mutant’s hold and instead pushed his body against Tsunami’s.  His mouth opened and his tongue darted out, aggressively taking control of their kiss.

            It lasted but a few minutes, and then Raph yanked his head to the side and stepped back out of Tsunami’s hold, releasing the blue mutant as well.

            They stared at each other.  Raph’s eyes were a bright gold as he swiped the back of his hand across his mouth.

            “That what ya’ been wanting Tsu?” Raph asked, a touch of a rogue’s smile curling his lips.

            Tsunami found he couldn’t produce a coherent thought.  His entire body was tingling from the ninja’s touch.

            Shoving off from the wall, Tsunami rolled his head, stretching the kinks from his neck.

            “Playing with me, Raphael?  As a substitute for running out your aggression, or pounding on Purple Dragons?”  Tsunami asked.

            “Ya’ questioning my motives, Tsu?  Ya’ been chasing me in more ways than one; now you’re gonna put up stop signs?” Raph demanded.

            Tsunami shook his head.  “Don’t misread me, my friend.  I’ve already admitted what it is I want from you.  Let me expound on that by saying I want more than a casual one night stand.”

            Raph sucked in a deep breath, his eyes burning as they blazed into Tsunami’s.  “I can give ya’ what I got right now, Tsu.  Don’t ask for more than that.”

            Tsunami was breathing hard.  Every wish he’d had could come true tonight.  Raph’s shields were down, his emotions raw and his need palpable.

            His own words surprised him.  “Not like this.  I won’t take advantage, Raphael.  I understand you think you know my character; but you’re wrong.  I’m not willing to do something, no matter how much I want it, which will cause you greater pain tomorrow.”

            “Then we got a problem, Tsu,” Raph said, advancing a step.  “I ain’t worried about tomorrow.  I only care about tonight, and I don’t like a fucking tease.”

            That left the decision up to Tsunami.  Raph’s nearness was pulling him; the Turtle’s animal magnetism the strongest thing Tsunami had ever encountered.

            Knowing he should step away, Tsunami seemed incapable of movement as Raph came closer.  His mind told him that Raph was lost; that his fear, anxiety and helplessness at the disapearance of his brother was driving this sudden need.

            And then Raph was touching him, and Tsunami’s mind abandoned ship.


	46. JF46 Heat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,837  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: The triangle comes to a head. Which point will be broken?

            “I am more concerned about you Raptarr, than I am about your Turtle friend,” the physician said as he came to stand over Raptarr’s seated form.

            The winged guardian was on a chair not far from Don’s bed, his arms on his knees and his head down.  He waited there while three of the city’s best physicians examined Donatello.  Fortunately, the Turtle appeared to be sleeping peacefully.

            Now Raptarr looked up and blinked weary eyes at the Avian in front of him.  Two of the three had left the room; their muted words sounded unworried as they drifted back to him from the hall.

            “Donatello . . . .” Raptarr began.

            The physician placed a calming hand on Raptarr’s shoulder.  “He is fine.  I am afraid the nectar you gave him to drink, combined with the medications already in his body had a slightly deleterious effect on his nervous system.  Since his physiology is so different from our own, I cannot tell you when he will waken; just know that he will not suffer adversely from this minor setback.”

            Raptarr nodded and breathed out a sigh of relief.  “I was so worried,” he said quietly.

            “Which brings me back to you,” the physician told him.  “I understand how you drive yourself, particularly during this season, but you cannot continue to do so year after year.  It is taking its toll on you.”

            The reminder was unnecessary.  Raptarr’s entire body was on fire at the moment, and he knew his face was flushed.

            “There is nothing I can do,” he informed the physician.

            “Yes there is,” the man said.  “Find a mate during this mating season.  We were not designed to spend our lives alone, Raptarr, as you well know.  Somehow you have managed to fight your body’s needs for many years, but I can see you are losing the fight this time.  If you do not bond to someone soon, your metabolism will speed up and you will literally burn yourself out.”

            “I can hold out another year,” Raptarr insisted.  Even as he spoke, a painful spike ran through his system and he shuddered under its attack.

            The physician pursed his lips in frustration.  “Not this time.  The warning signs are all there, friend.  No matter how strongly disciplined you have been in the past, this year you will not win the battle.  The heat and pain are a precursor; next you will become disoriented and self-destructive.  You may even become violent as the heat burns through you and eats you alive.”

            “I won’t leave Donatello,” Raptarr stated stubbornly.

            “I am glad he has such a friend as you, but you have got to think of yourself right now.  He is no longer in danger; but you are and yours is mortal.  We will gladly monitor him until he awakens so you may go to the mating season festivities.  There will be plenty of eligible Avian’s for you to meet.  Go now, Raptarr, don’t wait another moment,” the physician said, his tone expressing urgency.

            Raptarr didn’t want anyone he might meet at the numerous mating festivities.  He wanted Don.  That was not something he could explain to the physician, not when Raptarr had no idea why Don seemed to want him in return only to suddenly turn cold.

***********************

            The first thing Chrysalis did upon her return from Bombay was to search for Raptarr.  He was not in JF headquarters; in fact, no one was.  Confused and curious, she made her way to the control room and found Silver Sentry there, reviewing call logs and team member reports.

            “Where is everyone?” she asked.

            The look on Silver Sentry’s face scared her.

            “Apparently a lot of things have happened since we’ve been gone.  Donatello is missing, Nano was almost destroyed in a fire, Leonardo is recovering from life threatening injuries and Nobody seems to have decided to involve Tsunami and Ananda in a life of crime.”

            “Raptarr,” she murmured, and then said with more strength, “Raptarr?”

            “They thought he was with us.  His communicator is still here; he’s been very forgetful lately.” SS sighed. “It appears he may be missing as well.”

            He jumped up from his seat.  “I’m going to take a look at Nano.  They have him in a stasis unit.”

            Missing.  Chrys watched SS leave the room, her mind in overdrive.

            _Missing_.  Raptarr missing, Donatello missing.  It could be a coincidence, but she really, truly doubted it.

            And if one wanted to call it women’s intuition, or something else, Chrys was pretty sure she could guess where they were.

***********************

            If he angled his head just so against the window, Raptarr could see tall spires in the distance, each topped with colorful flags.  One of the many mating festivities happening throughout the Avian city was quite close.  He could fly there, search for a mate, and return in just an hour or so.

            Even as the thought passed through his mind, he knew he wasn’t going to do that.  Not even for self-preservation, because Raptarr knew that he was completely in love with Donatello.

            He would rather die than betray himself.  Turning away from the sight of his potential salvation, Raptarr took a few halting steps towards Don’s bed before stopping.  If he got too close, he was afraid he would repeat what had occurred three nights ago, and this time he wasn’t sure if he could refrain from molesting the unconscious Turtle.

            Raptarr suddenly bent double as burning pain moved through his body.  His head came up; his attractive face contorted in agony as he fought against the needs mating season forced on him.

            “You don’t have to suffer,” a feminine voice behind him made him spin quickly.

            Chrysalis stood just inside the room.  The wings she formed for flight curled back into her body and she took several steps towards Raptarr before she stopped and turned her head to look at Don.

            “How is he?” she asked.

            Raptarr straightened to his full height as the pain faded.  “What are you doing here? How . . . ?”

            Chrys looked back at him, her purple eyes wide.  “SS and I returned from Bombay to find chaos, Raptarr.  Did you know that Nano nearly destroyed himself searching a burning warehouse for Donatello?  Leo had to be forced back to his home so that he could receive medical care; he didn’t want to leave without his brother.  The rest of the family and half of our team are frantically searching for Don.  When I realized no one knew where you were, I figured out what happened.”

            “He was hurt badly.  There was no time to do more than bring him here straightaway so the physicians could heal him,” Raptarr hurriedly explained, trying to ignore the horrible guilt her words provoked.

            “And after that?” her eyes pierced his in accusation.  “It has been four days since you rescued him.  You haven’t called his brothers; you haven’t left this city as far as I can determine after talking to one of your doctors.”

            “His shell cell was destroyed in the warehouse,” Raptarr responded lamely.

            “Were your wings destroyed as well?  The trip here did not take long, Raptarr,” she said.

            “I . . . I didn’t want to leave him in this unconscious state.  I didn’t want him to wake all alone in a strange place,” Raptarr told her.

            “Hmm.”  Chrys walked closer to the bed and glanced again at Donatello.  Their conversation hadn’t roused him.

            “What’s wrong with him?” she asked.

            “Initially, he was burned.  At the moment he is suffering an adverse reaction to some of the drugs the physicians gave him.  They tell me he will be fine once the medication has worn off,” Raptarr said.  He was watching her warily.

            She tilted her head down as she turned it to eye the Avian.  “That’s not what they told me, Raptarr.  They told me he fell unconscious after drinking something you gave him.”

            “The nectar reacted badly with his medication,” Raptarr asserted.

            “Is this how you intend to hold onto him?  By keeping him drugged?” Chrysalis asked.

            “I didn’t . . . .” Raptarr began.

            “Save it,” Chrys hissed, interrupting him.  “I don’t care, all I know is what it looks like, and what it will look like to his brothers as well.  If you don’t want them to find out, you’ll do exactly as I say.”

            He was surprised at the hard edge in her voice.  Raptarr had known Chrysalis for a couple of years now; they were colleagues and house mates.  He had never known her to be anything other than soft spoken and rather sweet.

            “Chrys, what is going on?” Raptarr asked.

            “Sometimes you can be so naïve,” she said a little bitterly.  “I had no problem seeing you had a thing for Donatello.  In fact, I think you might be in love with him.  He’s not responding to you though, is he?  Don’t you know he and his brothers are involved?”

            Raptarr felt his insides turn to stone.  Don had told him the Turtles were devoted to one another but he had refused to accept what that term might indicate.

            “You don’t know anything about me,” Raptarr insisted strongly.

            Chrys laughed.  “I know more than you think.  Are your insides burning, Raptarr?  Does your blood feel like it’s on fire?  It’s mating season and I know what that means.  I took the time to study Avian physiology.  You’re in ‘heat’; you need a mate and you need one now.  You’ve somehow managed to contain your own genetics for years; I think possibly because you spend so much time away from Avian.  But even you can’t hold out forever.”

            “That doesn’t mean I’d resort to force,” Raptarr told her.

            “Is that what you’ve been telling yourself the last few days?  While Don lays unconscious  and helpless?  What would the other Turtles do if they knew you were ravaged by desire for their brother and have been holding him here, in a position where he’s completely incapable of defending himself from your advances.”

            Raptarr’s face colored as he thought how his desperation had almost caused him to violate Don.  Following that guilt was deep anger that Chrys would think that of him.

            Taking a step towards her, Raptarr said, “Chrysalis, you need to keep those kinds of thoughts to yourself.”  His voice was low and dangerous.

            “Oh, forget it,” Chrys said, a slight smile on her face.  Her head came up; defiant.  “I’m more than a match for you, so don’t even think about trying to intimidate me.  You should be asking what it is I want in return for keeping my mouth shut.”

            Raptarr’s hands were tight fists at his side.  The entire room was suddenly bathed in a red glow, and he knew it was the fire burning in his head that was causing this intense anger. 

            Working to remain rational, he asked, “What do you want, Chrysalis?”

            The smile on her face brightened further.  “That’s easy.  I want you.”


	47. JF47 This Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,338  
> Rated: R  
> Summary: Leo is, in essence, a turtle of action. Now is when he most needs to feel in control of something in his life.

            Getting rid of their captives had been much easier than acquiring them.  Trussed up tightly, with pillowcase hoods firmly in place, they were dumped unceremoniously at a fire department sub-station. 

            The cameras there were easier to avoid and there were no roving patrols to accidently catch the kidnappers.  Nobody certainly didn’t want to explain how he had come to have possession of prisoners meant to be turned over to federal officers.

            That done, he and Mikey dropped Jones on the corner where he’d parked his bike.  He’d changed in the back of the truck, removing the borrowed police uniform while Ananda covered her eyes.

            Ananda had surprised him tonight.  Her idea to administer drugs to keep the captives awake and pliable had been sound.  It had also given the combined team one less thing to worry about; the captives weren’t going to remember any of their names, or much of anything else that had occurred.

            They dropped Ananda at the pier where the Justice Force launch was tied up.  Mikey got out of the truck and walked her over to the small sea craft, leaning his head close to hers as he said something to her.  She responded with a smile, and a light touch on his wrist before stepping into her boat.

            Nobody had a quick thought that those two appeared to have gotten pretty close tonight.

            Mikey hadn’t said much while driving, and now that it was just the two of them, Nobody asked, “Do you think we accomplished anything, Michelangelo?”

            Mikey shrugged.  “Dunno, maybe.  The address they gave us for the office where they go to get paid is probably a shell, but who knows.  The only way to find out is to pay it a visit.”

            Nobody looked out of his side window, then turned his head back towards Mikey.

            “You do realize that it’s probably been cleaned out ever since the police caught those guys,” he said.

            “Yeah, I know.”  Mikey’s eyes were straight ahead, his shoulders stiff.  Nobody could see the sorrow weighing down on the normally vivacious orange banded Turtle.  It made Nobody’s heart heavy.

            When they pulled into the garage, they found Leonardo waiting for them.

            Jumping down from the driver’s seat, Mikey asked, “Why are you out of bed?”

            “I was getting cramped just lying there.  Master Splinter gave me one of his canes to lean on.”  He tapped it on the concrete floor and said, “Ananda did such a fine, tight job with her stitches I can barely feel them.”

            “Uh, huh.  You better not let Raph catch you wandering around,” Mikey said, then added, “Do you wanna know where he is?”

            Leo held up the headset he’d used for monitoring their activities.  “I heard enough.  He’s out there trying to run away from himself again, isn’t he?”

            Mikey shook his head and scuffed a foot against the floor.  “Yep.  Don’t think he’s ever gonna learn that’s not possible.”

            “At least he’ll tire himself enough to sleep.”  Leo looked at Nobody and frowned.

            Mikey caught the look and managed to contain a grin.  “Speaking of sleep, I could use some.  You guys go ahead and talk, I’m out of here.”

            With a backward wave of his hand, he entered the elevator and disappeared.

            A few minutes of silence interceded and then Nobody took a deep breath.

            “It’s late,” he said.

            “Yes,” Leo responded.

            “Your brother is still missing,” Nobody told him.

            “Yes,” Leo said again.

            “Raphael is in pain and very angry,” Nobody informed him pointlessly.

            “Yes,” Leo replied a third time.

            Nobody rubbed his palms over his thighs.  He still wore his police uniform, which meant he could not hide behind his mask.  He had not mastered Leo’s skill at disguising his feelings, and the look on his face gave away his confused pain.

            “We’re both standing here in the early morning hours with our defenses down, Leo.  What are we going to do?  Should we continue to dance around each other?” Nobody asked.

            Leo released a long breath and when he met Nobody’s eyes, the dark vigilante found himself suddenly drowning in rich amber.

            “I finally understand your point about age,” Leo admitted.  “I have no experience with relationships other than my brothers.”  He laughed shortly.  “Somehow I don’t think that counts.”

            Nobody’s heart was racing.  “By relationships, do you mean you’d like to move forward, Leo?”

            “I don’t like hiding things from my family,” Leo told him.

            Nobody walked closer.  “Then we should go slowly so there isn’t anything to hide.  Once Donatello is back and you’re healed you can make the decision on how best to tell your family.”

            “How to tell my family,” Leo repeated.  Finding someone outside of their small circle had never occurred to the Turtles when they had made their pledge to one another.

            Bringing Don home was the first order of business; then Leo and his brothers needed to sit down and have a long talk.

            Nobody could see when Leo’s bright eyes clouded slightly and knew his friend was trying to sort through the agreement they’d just made.  He moved closer to Leo and placed his hands on the Turtle’s shoulders.

            “You needn’t solve that tonight, Leo,” Nobody said with a smile.  “You really should go lie down before Raph comes home; he was plenty angry when we left the pier and doesn’t need any more fuel for his fire.”

            Leo blinked a few times and his eyes cleared.  They were such an intensely beautiful color that Nobody wished he could look into them for the rest of his life.

            Clearing his throat, Nobody started to step away, saying, “I need to change and head back to JF.”

            “Wait,” Leo said, stopping him.

            Nobody froze as he felt Leo’s hand slide over his chest.  “Leo, what . . .?”

            “I want to see you,” Leo told him as he began to unbutton Nobody’s shirt.

            Nobody’s breath caught.  He heard Leo’s cane hit the floor as the Turtle moved both hands to the task of undressing him.

            “Leo, someone could come in.  Do you want to explore this now?”

            Leo’s hands didn’t falter.  “That knowledge should keep us grounded, don’t you think?”

            Nobody felt a shiver run up his spine as Leo pulled his shirt free of his pants.  Leaning forward, Leo ran his hands beneath the shirt at Nobody’s shoulders, and pushed it off of him.

            “God I hope so, but I can’t promise anything right now,” Nobody said, his body catching fire with Leo’s nearness.

            With no hesitation, Leo pulled at his undershirt, tugging it up over Nobody’s tight abs, uncovering his broad chest and then Nobody lifted his arms to allow Leo to remove the shirt completely.

            A soft inhalation of breath was the only sign Nobody got that Leo was as excited as he.  The Turtle’s eyes were locked on his bare skin; his hands came forward again and began to touch Nobody, palms down to rub across his collarbone, down to his chest and then across his flat belly.

            When the fingers came in contact with the waistband of Nobody’s pants, Leo unfastened them.

            Nobody caught his hands.  Breathing hard, he pulled Leo’s arms around his waist and stepped in to touch bare skin to plastron.

            “We need to stop now,” Nobody said, his voice shaking.

            Leo looked up and met his eyes.  “Yes.  Just give me one thing more before you leave,” Leo whispered.

            Nobody lowered his mouth to Leo’s and kissed him, deeply and passionately.  Knowing that every second brought greater danger of their being caught suddenly made no difference to Nobody.

            Leo tightened his arms around Nobody’s waist and felt his friends grip tighten in response.  The first two times they had kissed had been interrupted by circumstance and emergency.

            It didn’t matter that they were in the middle of the garage.  It didn’t matter that Master Splinter, or Mikey or Raphael could walk in at any moment.

            Nothing mattered to Leo right now except finally finishing this kiss.


	48. JF48 No Promises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,319  
> Rated: R  
> Summary: The aftermath of certain actions come back to haunt the participants.

            The Turtle’s touch had been nothing less than electric.

            Tsunami stretched in his bed and felt the pain, the ache, the _burn_ that was leftover from just a few hours ago.  He could only smile as it stabbed through him, bringing back a delicious reminder.  This was pain he would relish as long as it lingered.

            They had struggled; Tsunami thought they would always struggle, to see which would be dominate.  Years of ninjitsu had given Raph the advantage, that and his incredible musculature, the thought of which gave Tsunami goose bumps even now.

            Raphael’s body and the look in his eyes once he had Tsunami pinned.  Held down on the hard earthen floor of a tunnel in the vast underground sewer system.  Away from the lair and Justice Force headquarters because neither place would be welcoming to them.

            The tunnel had been close; Raph had practically dragged him straight to the location once they dropped below ground.  Tsunami once more had the fleeting thought that perhaps the chase Raph had led him on had not been random after all.

****************************************

            Raph entered the lair as quietly as possible and went straight to the shower.  If someone in his family had seen him; had called to him, he would have ignored them.

            Stepping under a warm deluge of water, Raph rapidly worked to remove Tsunami’s scent from his body.  His muscles hurt; but it was a good kind of hurt and he scrubbed harder, feeling guilty at that realization.

            Shell, he shouldn’t fucking feel guilty, he told himself.  Tsunami was asking for it; he’d damn well begged for it once they were on the ground.  Once Raph fought him down and showed him who was in charge.

            The mutant had put up a good fight, vying for dominance even as their hungry mouths clashed together almost continuously.  His damn body suit – Raph was pretty sure he’d ripped the thing a few times before getting it off of Tsunami.

            Tsu.  Oh, fucking shit.  Raph tapped his forehead against the tile and leaned down to turn up the hot water.  It was done, over; no more water hose Raph told himself.  That was it; he’d made damn sure Tsunami understood.

****************************************

            Tsunami pillowed his head in his hands and stared at the ceiling.  He could almost feel Raph’s body on his even now, the residual memory clinging to his nerve endings.

            The Turtle was harsh and rough and so damned alive.  Even in the brutality of it Raphael hadn’t been rushed; his hands and mouth made Tsunami squirm and beg for the first time in his life.

            A delicate shudder ran over Tsunami’s body and his hands clenched.  Not once, nor twice, but thrice Raphael had taken him.  Tsunami had been correct in his assessment of the Turtle’s almost limitless store of power.

            Through it all, with every demand Raphael made of Tsunami’s body, he had given in return.  Tsunami eyes half closed at the remembered pleasure that Raph had wrenched from him.  He had never known he could feel things with such intensity until the red banded Turtle had touched him.

****************************************

            Raph turned and leaned his carapace against the shower wall.  He wasn’t going to ever be able to take a shower again in his whole fucking life without thinking about Tsunami.

            Kicking himself was pointless, Raph knew.  He couldn’t even blame what had happened on a spur of the moment emotional outburst, because he knew damn well what he was doing when he led Tsunami down that alley.

            It was good.  It was better than good and Raph was going to at least admit that to himself.  No point in lying to _himself_ , right?  He had yet to find a way to hide inside his own skull so he might as well face the fact that he instigated their coupling.  Raph fucking _orchestrated_ the damn thing.

            ‘Cause Tsunami wasn’t gonna give him a moment’s peace until he got some of what Raph had.  Sure, that was it; Raph just wanted to be left the shell alone and maybe now Tsunami was satisfied and could find something else to do with himself.

            Raph squeezed his eyes tightly and told himself that’s what he wanted out of his one night stand; for Tsunami to disappear.

****************************************

            Tsunami rolled onto his side, suddenly restless.  It would have been good to wake up next to Raphael.  Instead they had settled for dozing between matches; too tired from each encounter to move.  Raph never seemed to fall below half-mast; surprising and delighting Tsunami.

            Raphael’s size had brought him complete rapture.  It certainly accounted for the burn in Tsunami’s lower regions, but it also explained how easily the Turtle could hit parts of Tsunami that made his entire body sing with pleasure.

            How could one creature be such a contradiction?  Withdrawn and hostile; rough and competitive, thoughtful and passionate.

            About Raphael there was only one thing that Tsunami knew for sure and that was he wanted more of the Turtle.

****************************************

            Raphael was willing to give credit where it was due; Tsunami had left him feeling more sated than he had felt in a long time.  The blue mutant was no wimp; he didn’t just lay back and let Raph do all the driving.

            Tsu’s mouth was warm and wet and he certainly knew how to use it.  His hands were talented as well; the tricks he had alluded to weren’t just bragging.  Tsu had literally dragged Raph into a frenzy of lust with just a few twists of his wrist, not to mention what he did to the Turtle with his body.

            Shit, shit!  He had to stop thinking about it; it was over.  Over for good.  He told Tsu that when they separated; Raph told him there wasn’t any point in running together anymore.  Tsu got what he wanted and so did Raphael.

            Done.  That’s it; they were done.  If only that fucking mutant hadn’t just stood there with that crazy shit eating grin on his face like he knew better.

****************************************

            Tsunami flipped onto his back once more, resigned to the fact that it might take a while for sleep to come to him.

            He had to find a reason to see Raph again, that much was obvious.  Now that they had gotten this close he couldn’t allow the Turtle to withdraw.

            It didn’t matter that Raph had told him it was over between them, or that Raph seemed to be trying to push him away.  Tsunami made no promises, and his lover hadn’t asked for any.

****************************************

            Leo was standing there waiting for him when Raph stepped out of the shower.

            “What the fuck Leo?  How many times do we gotta tell ya ta stay in bed?” Raph snapped at him, annoyed that even injured Leo was capable of such a silent approach.

            Leo handed him a towel and watched as Raph dried himself.

            “I have to start walking sometime,” he said.

            Draping the towel around his neck, Raph glared at him.  The look on Leo’s face spoke volumes.

            “I don’t wanna hear it, Fearless,” he told Leo.

            Leo shrugged.  “Not going to say anything; just wanted to see if you were okay.”

            Raph’s eyes narrowed.  He was nice and clean now, smelling of soap and whatever detergent Mikey had thrown on top of the towels when he washed them.

            “’M fine,” he murmured and moved a tad closer to his brother.

            Yeah, that was it; something tugged at his head and it had to do with scent.  Scent was why he rushed to take his shower, to rid himself of the smell of someone else on his body.

            His sensitive nostrils were still picking up the scent of someone else and it sure as shell wasn’t on him.

            Raph’s head lifted and his shoulders went back as he blurted, “Leo, what’s going on between you and Nobody?”


	49. JF49 Good Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 2,217  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Mikey steps out to check on Nano and unexpected things occur.

            Mikey wasn’t sure what time Raph had gotten home, but his brother’s loud snores gave away both his presence and the fact that he was damn tired.

            They weren’t coming from Raph’s room either; the sounds of his sleeping hot headed brother were coming from behind Leo’s closed door.

            That seemed to indicate that Leo had waited up for Raph, not at all unusual.  Mikey shook his head as he grabbed the orange juice from the refrigerator and poured himself a big glassful.  Raph knew Leo couldn’t sleep when the red banded turtle was on a tear out in the open city, but despite knowing he was hurting his oldest brother, he continued to let his emotions control his moods.

            Mikey hoped that the both of them being in Leo’s bed was a sign that they had made some kind of peace with each other.  Mikey grinned, he couldn’t for the life of him figure out how they’d managed to work around Leo’s stitches; but shell, maybe he was jumping to conclusions and all they had done was to hold each other.

            Ri~ght.  Draining his glass, Mikey rinsed it quickly and set it to drain.  Whatever was going on with those two was not his concern at the moment.  Mikey had his own business to attend to, something he’d arranged with Ananda when they’d parted last evening.

            Mikey left the lair and headed into one of the large sewer drainage pipes; a storm water runoff that fed directly into the ocean.  When he got to the spill point, he found Ananda waiting for him in the Justice Force launch, its sun top up so that no one would spot a green life form roaming about in broad daylight.

            “No problem getting away from home?” she asked once he’d hopped aboard.

            “Nah.  Shell, everyone’s still asleep from our late night,” he said.  “Thanks for getting up early to help me out, by the way.”

            “It’s nothing,” Ananda said, piloting the small launch with practiced ease.  “I know it’s hard for you to move around when it’s light outside.  I like the idea of helping young love.”

            Mikey remained silent for the remainder of the trip.  He sure hoped her efforts weren’t going to be in vain.

            The pair passed through the Justice Force building unnoticed, as everyone there appeared to be either out or still sleeping.  Their destination was the lab where Nano was recuperating in his stasis unit and they went straight there.

            Nano greeted them immediately.  “Ananda, Michelangelo!  Have you come to visit with me?”

            Mikey moved close to the tube housing his friend.  Nano looked almost completely whole again.  “We sure have big guy.  Are you almost ready to get out of there and go back to your own room?”

            “I believe I will be able to do so shortly.  Some of my nanobots received greater damage than initially thought, and we are in the process of finding those and removing them from my system.  Ananda is helping me by scanning each and up linking whatever viable memory they contain back into the undamaged collective.  She has been most accommodating.”

            Mikey looked over his shoulder at Ananda, who was sitting at a computer console.  She glanced up when she felt his eyes on her and smiled encouragingly at him.

            “Have you remembered anything more about your life from before the accident?” Mikey asked hopefully.

            “I have recovered a memory which explains how I became a member of the Justice Force,” Nano said.  “It is a good memory and I am pleased that it was not lost.”

            Mikey could almost hear the joy in his voice and he smiled.  That was another good reason for his hope that Nano would recover all his memories.  Each of them seemed to have been instrumental in giving Nano his most human of attributes – emotion.

            With a less enthusiastic tone, Nano said, “I have also recovered a memory of the man who I once believed to be my father.  That is a not so pleasant memory, Turtle Titan.  I tried to hurt you and your brothers.”

            Flattening his palm on the glass, Mikey said, “Think of it as another piece of the puzzle, Nano.  The bad memories and the good memories all fit together differently for each of us.  That’s what makes us individuals.”

            “Yes, I see,” Nano said.  “But I am a robotic life form; is it possible for me to be ‘individual’?”

            “There isn’t anyone else like you, Nano.  That fact already makes you individual.  You look hard at that memory from when you joined the JF.  The guys here gave you a choice to join them just as they would anyone else who showed your ability.  They wouldn’t have done it if they didn’t see the good in you and that’s not a robotic trait.  That’s something only living things are capable of,” Mikey told him in the strongest possible way.

            “It is pleasant to speak with you, Michelangelo.  You have a very positive outlook,” Nano observed.

            “He most certainly does,” Ananda agreed, swiveling in her chair.  “I’ll be ready with some additional memory fragments in about an hour, Nano.  I’m sorry it’s such a slow process, but if I move too quickly, the damaged nanobots will implode before I’ve extracted what I can from them.”

            “There is no need to apologize Ananda.  You are most kind to do this for me,” Nano said.

            “I’d like to think I’m doing it for all of us,” she replied, directing another wistful smile in Mikey’s direction.

            Ananda got up and moved off into another smaller room, leaving Mikey and Nano alone.

            “Michelangelo, was I fond of ‘daytime television’?” Nano asked.

            Mikey’s hand moved on the tube, a short downward caressing stroke as he said, “Yeah, Nano. You kinda got hooked on the stuff, why?”

            “I have a fragment of memory of our discussing something that had occurred on daytime television,” Nano told him.  “You were telling me I needed to stop watching so many soap operas.”

            Mikey chuckled, and then started to laugh.  That had been what seemed like a hundred years ago, before they’d been officially outed, before Leo got hurt or Donny disappeared.  Back when he and Nano were discovering what they could be together.

            When Mikey looked at Nano, he saw the nanobot was wearing a smile.

            “Nano!  Dude, you’re smiling!  Do you remember why that was funny?” Mikey asked anxiously.

            “No, I cannot say my memory reaches that far.  I am smiling because the sound of your laughter is refreshing,” Nano said.

            “That’s an emotion, you know,” Mikey said, quite pleased.

            Nano’s head turned slightly.  “Yes, I believe it is.  Perhaps I have recovered more from my memories than I had originally thought.  Since emotion is not so tangible a thing, I am unable to say which part of my collective stores it, so it is possible emotion is what I perceive as a collective whole.”

            “That’s all it is for most of us, dude,” Mikey explained.  “Happy, sad, angry – any emotion really-- is just our own particular response to stuff that goes on around us.  Even, you know, love.”  Mikey watched Nano expectantly as he said this, hoping to see the words have some effect on the nanobot.

            Nano appeared to do no more than politely listen.  “I hope to understand all of this again, Michelangelo.  Ananda tells me I was quite sentient before the accident which injured my collective.  Are you and she family?”  Nano asked.

            Mikey blinked, startled at the change of topic and the question.  “No, Nano.  What would make you think that?”  Mikey noticed that Ananda was standing in the doorway, frozen in mid-step on her way back into the room.  Her head was turned towards Nano, a quizzical look on her attractive face.

            “The two of you appear very comfortable together.  In my observances of life form interactions this occurs when two people are very good friends or family,” Nano answered.

            “Friends, Nano.  We’re friends,” Ananda said hastily as she moved back to her computer console.  Mikey could see the blush on her cheeks before she turned her head and knew she had to be thinking of Don.

            Mikey had a quick thought that if she and Don hooked up, then Ananda could be ‘family’.  He found that idea to be extremely acceptable.

            “So, are there any other memory fragments in there you wanna talk about?” Mikey urged, hoping for something that would indicate more of their recent history together was still floating around.

            “Not currently.  It is possible I will have questions after Ananda processes this next set of memory extractions.  Is ‘frustrating’ the correct term for when you are waiting for something you want very much and it is not forthcoming?” Nano asked.

            Mikey chuckled, “Yep, that’s a real good way to explain frustrating.”

            Ananda moved to stand next to Mikey.  “I’m sorry Nano.  I know it must be hard to not be able to recall the greater part of your life.”

            “Yes.  But I am alive and have many good friends, so I am fortunate.  Michelangelo, have you recovered your brother Donatello yet?”  Nano shifted topics swiftly once more.

            Mikey’s head dropped, his chin down almost to his chest.  Heaving a large sigh, he answered, “No.”

            Ananda’s chest felt tight and her eyes grew moist as Mikey became so noticeably sad.  She placed a hand on his shoulder and began to rub his arm lightly.

            Mikey’s eyes were a deeper blue as he looked over at her and tried for a brave smile.  She offered one of her own, and their eyes locked.

            Time seemed to stop for Ananda.  In that instant, she suddenly noticed how beautiful Mikey’s eyes actually were, how his mouth tilted up at the corners in an almost perpetual smile, even when he was sad.

            She noted the vibrant color of his skin, his solid muscle tone, his positive and assured carriage.  In that instant, Ananda realized that Michelangelo was very, very masculine.

            Mikey reached up and took her hand in his and squeezed, bringing her back to reality.

            “We’re gonna find him though,” Mikey said with such certainty that Ananda knew even he believed it.

            That’s when his shell cell rang.  With a little frown, he released Ananda’s hand and dug the phone out of his belt, answering, “’Lo?”

            _“Mikey, come home now,”_ Leo ordered in a clipped, no nonsense tone.

            “Look, Leo, if you just wanna bust my ass . . . .” Mikey began.

            _“Mikey, I don’t care where you are, just come home.  Don’s back,”_ Leo said.

            Without another word, Mikey snapped the phone closed and looked up.  Leo had been loud and Ananda close; she had heard every word.

            Her smile was bright; her hands pressed together.  “He’s back?” she repeated, a small ‘please tell me I heard correctly’ question in her voice.

            Mikey’s smile almost split his face.  “Yes!”  Grabbing both her hands, he spun her around the room until she began to feel dizzy.

            “Come on Ananda.  Let’s go.  You can see him now too,”  Mikey turned toward the door.

            As much as Ananda wanted to go with him, she hesitated.  “No.  You go, Mikey.  This is a time for your family, not outsiders.”  She tossed the launch keys to him.

            Mikey caught them deftly.  “No one will care, after everything you’ve done for us,” he told her.  “I know this is important to you.”

            Ananda couldn’t help but think how sweet he was, to think of her at all when he must be literally ripped apart by his own emotions at his brother’s appearance.  “I can see him anytime; now is special.  Go, Mikey, go!”

            “’Kay,” he said.  Waving at Nano, Mikey told him, “I’ll be back to check on you again soon Nano.  Be well.”

            “Thank you.  I am pleased your brother has returned,” Nano called to his retreating shell.

            Mikey paused again in the doorway.  Turning back, he looked at Ananda once more, finding himself reluctant to leave her.  Her eyes were bright with happiness and he knew in that instant she was happy for _him_ , not just because Don was back.

            “Come over later, Ananda, okay?” he urged.

            “Mikey, I don’t know  . . . .”

            “Please, say you will.  For me,” he wheedled in his best, ‘you can’t say no to me’ tone.

            Laughing, Ananda said, “I will.  But, call me first, I don’t want to come over to an empty lair because you guys are out kicking someone’s butt.”

            “Wow, you really know us pretty well,” Mikey laughed too, and vanished.

            The lab was strangely cold and quiet with his departure.  Ananda stood looking after him, lost in thought, until Nano broke the silence.

            “Michelangelo is very thoughtful and attentive.  He would make good family for someone,” Nano said softly.

            Ananda turned back towards the nanobot with a smile.  “Yes, Nano, he would.”

            She had more to say when she noticed that Nano was staring at her with a knowing smile of his own.  Ananda had the happy thought that his collective had pulled something new from its memory when she understood why he had that look in the first place.

            Nano’s comment was aimed at her.  He meant that Mikey would make good family for Ananda.


	50. JF50 Broken Wings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 6,771  
> Rated: NC-17  
> Summary: Love triangles don't last and liars, no matter how skilled, are usually caught out in the end.

            “SS, I’ve located both Raptarr and Donatello,” Chrys said into her communicator.

            Silver Sentry’s voice was anxious as he asked, _“Where are you?  Are they alright?”_

            Chrys glanced sideways.  She had taken Raptarr to a small room away from the one Don was recovering in.  The Avian was on his feet, swaying slightly; his head down and his body covered in a light sheen of sweat.  He looked magnificent.

            Her face was predatory as she replied, “Yes.  We are on Avian.  Can you come right away and get Don?  Raptarr is indisposed; I’ll explain when you arrive.  He’s asked me to stay with him but I think we need to return Don to his brothers without further delay.”

            _“I’m on my way,”_ Silver Sentry said.

            Switching the communication device off, Chrys turned to Raptarr.  His head slowly lifted, his eyes burning with need.

            “Chrys, don’t make me do this,” he rasped, trembling slightly.

            She approached him deliberately and ran the palm of one hand lightly over a muscled arm.  His moan was extremely rewarding.

            “I’m trying to help you, Raptarr.  You need me,” she told him, her mouth curved up into a lust filled smile.

**********************************

            Don’s eyes opened slowly, awareness easing in just a second behind a reflexive blink or two.  He saw light and understood that first; this was a natural brightness which could only be achieved by the sun. 

            He saw purple then and was calmed by it; his color of choice so rich and soothing.  In a matter of seconds he understood the purple belonged to someone and that she was standing beside him.

            “Chrys?” he managed to croak, his head rotating on the bed as he attempted to survey his surroundings.

            “Shh, don’t move too fast,” she told him quietly.  “You’re fine; the doctors say you’ve recovered completely but you’ve been unconscious for a bit, so no sudden movements.”

            “I’m on Avian still?  Where is Raptarr?” he asked anxiously.  Despite her warnings, he sat up quickly and was rewarded by sudden dizziness.

            “Don!” Chrys put a hand on his arm to stop his standing up.  “He’s in bed in another room.  He’s . . . ill.  Silver Sentry will be here any moment to get you and take you back home.”

            “Chrysalis, you don’t understand.”  Don’s sense of urgency forced him to his feet.  “Raptarr saved my life, but I think he was trying to keep me here.”

            Chrys shook her head, stepping back.  “He didn’t drug you, Donatello.”

            Don’s head snapped up.  “How did you . . . .?”

            “It’s what I would have thought if I were you,” she said with a shrug.  “You’ve never had Avian nectar, have you?  It’s distilled from a rare flower and potent stuff to anyone not an Avian.  It was injudicious of him to share it with you, but I don’t _think_ it was purposeful.  I mean, I don’t know how he could have counted on it mixing with your medication to have that specific of a reaction?”  Her statement was more of a question, leaving the interpretation open.

            “I need to speak to him and find out for certain,” Don said with determination.  “I owe him that much.”

            “Well, you can’t,” Chrysalis snapped, then drew a breath to compose herself.  “Don, he’s in the final stages of Avian heat.  He can’t be near you right now; that’s why he asked for my help.  I can get him through this, but you can’t be here; your presence only confuses him.”

            “Heat?” Don asked.

            “Avian’s need to mate; they have to bond with another person.  It’s a yearly cycle and they all go through it when they reach a certain age.  Raptarr has never taken a mate and his cycle is screwed up.  His head hasn’t been on straight for a couple of weeks, Donatello.  You have to understand; what he thinks he feels for you is a result of this chemical imbalance in his body.  He’s simply not responsible for his actions.”

            The words made Don sit down again.  He was truly glad that Raptarr had not done anything dishonorable, but he also felt a stab of hurt that his Avian friend had been controlled by physiological needs, and not by any deeper feelings for Don himself.

            Chrys’ small, satisfied smile was erased quickly as Don looked up at her.  Replacing it with one of concern, she asked, “Are you all right?”

            He nodded.  “Isn’t there anything I can do?”

            “No.  You need to go home now.  Don, your family doesn’t know where you are.  They haven’t since Raptarr rescued you.  He didn’t want to leave you alone, so he never told anyone that he found you and brought you here,” Chrys said.

            Don jumped up again, his eyes wide.  “Oh shell!  Chrys, I have to go!  My brothers must be frantic by now!”

            “They are.”  Silver Sentry entered the room, his eyes sweeping the space out of habit.  “Grab your gear and let’s go; I have a lot to tell you during the return flight.”

            Don sped across the room to pull his pads and belt on.  SS took the moment to ask Chrys, “What is going on with Raptarr?”

            “He’s unwell, SS.  It’s an Avian illness and has been affecting him for some time.  I . . . I  can help him; I _want_ to help him,” she confessed in a low voice.

            Silver Sentry stared into her face and she flushed lightly.  “I think I understand.  Very well, you remain here and communicate with me if anything changes.  I have to get Donatello back to his family immediately.”

            “Of course,” she said.

            Don came back towards them, his bo in place, and he and SS left the room at a fast clip.  Once they were out of sight, the shy smile on Chrys’ face slid off to be replaced by a look of cunning.  Everything was going according to plan.

**********************************

            “ _Don_?  Donny!”  Raph yelled, leaping up from the meditation mat where he’d been fidgeting for over an hour.

            Silver Sentry’s call informing them of Don’s imminent return had left him numb and unbelieving.  Leo had excused himself to Master Splinter in order to phone Michelangelo of the news and to get the orange banded turtle to return to the lair immediately.  Raph had been unable to do more than stare at his own knees.

            Now his arms were wrapped tightly around Donatello and he struggled to contain the overwhelming emotions that threatened to spill.  Holding Don in a death grip seemed the only way possible to maintain some modicum of control.

            Leo seemed to understand; he wrapped his arms around both of them and the trio stayed that way for long minutes, none of them capable of the words that would heal them as much as the simple physical act of holding each other was doing.

            A loud yell broke their group hug.  Mikey was bearing down on them, a full head of steam lending wings to his forward motion.

            “Donny!” he yelled just before launching himself on his sibling.

            Don was laughing then; the fear and pain of the last couple of hours erased by Michelangelo’s enthusiasm.

            “I missed you too, bro’,” Don said, patting Mikey’s carapace.

            Mikey gripped Don’s biceps and leaned back, surveying him.  “Are you hurt? What happened to you?”  He began a sweep of Don’s body, moving his hands over shell and skin.

            “M . . . Mikey, stop!” Don called out in embarrassment.  Silver Sentry was grinning at them.

            Master Splinter moved forward and put a stop to Mikey’s body search by placing himself between his two sons.  He set a furry hand on Don’s cheek, squeezed his eyes shut for a brief moment and then opened his arms.  Don fell into them happily.

            “Donatello was well taken care of by the physicians on Avian, friends,” Silver Sentry said in answer to the unasked questions he saw on the Turtle’s faces.

            “What exactly happened, Don?” Leo asked as Don moved out of Master Splinter’s arms.

            “A gas line exploded in the warehouse and I couldn’t get away fast enough.  I was pretty badly burned,” Don said.  “Then a bunch of crates fell on me and I don’t remember anything after that until I woke up on Avian.  Raptarr told me he had seen what happened from his vantage point above the building and he pulled me out through a skylight and away from the warehouse; afraid that the area was contaminated because he saw my gas mask.”

            “Why the fu . . . shell didn’t he bring you home?” Raph demanded, changing his choice of words after a quick glance at Master Splinter.

            “He was afraid I was going to die,” Don said simply.  “The physicians in his city were more capable of dealing with my injuries than you guys would have been.  I’m afraid he didn’t stop to think about what my disappearance might do to my family.”

            “We will be forever in his debt for saving you,” Master Splinter said, his voice deep with underlying emotions.

            “Why didn’t he call us?” Leo asked.

            “My shell cell was broken during the accident, and he’d left his communicator behind at JF headquarters,” Don said.

            “You’ve been gone for _four_ days, Don.  Why the fuck didn’t he come tell us where you were?” Raph snarled, too angry to worry about his words.

            “He’s ill,” Silver Sentry interposed.  “According to Chrysalis, he has been for a while.  It is an Avian illness and I’m afraid has affected some of his cerebral processes.  Chrysalis thinks he may very well have _thought_ he’d informed you of Don’s whereabouts.”

            “So, like, you’ve been out of it for four days, dude?” Mikey asked incredulously.

            “Not entirely,” Don admitted.  “I woke up at one point and felt fine, but then I drank something that didn’t agree with my system or the medications I’d been given.  That combination knocked me on my shell.”

            Raph’s eyes were narrowed as he contemplated Don’s new mask, the rich texture of the material made everything around him look shabby.  “Who gave you that drink, Don?”

            Don glanced at Raph, and did a double take at the expression on his hot headed brother’s face.  “Raptarr did.  Why?”

            “And where’d ya get the new mask?” Raph asked ominously.

            Don remained calm as he answered.  “Raptarr got it for me.  My old one was ruined by the fire.”

            “What exactly is this illness Raptarr’s got?  He try ta give ya’ anything else while ya’ was up there, Don?  Anything happen that you’re leaving out of this story?”  Raph growled.

            “I’ve been _unconscious_ , Raph,” Don told him pointedly.

            “Yeah, and I’ve been all over this fucking city looking for ya’.  We thought . . . we fucking thought . . . s _hell_ , Donny!”  Raph grit his teeth as his jaw quivered.  “ _Four_ fucking days!”

            Don darted over to him and wrapped an arm around Raph’s neck, pulling his red banded brother into his shoulder.  He grabbed Raph’s belt in his other hand and held him close.

            Raph’s hands gripped the edge of Don’s shell as he tried to let go of the fear that had crawled inside his skin and set up shop.

            Mikey watched the tableau for a moment, and then turned to Silver Sentry.

            “How did Chrysalis know where to find them?” he asked.

            “She figured it out once we returned from our trip to Bombay.  After she realized everyone thought Raptarr was with us, she thought about how he normally patrols the skies over the city and wondered if he hadn’t somehow found Don.  Flying to Avian to check was a logical next step,” Silver Sentry answered.

            Leo took several deep, cleansing breaths and asked, “Just how serious is Raptarr’s health?  Is he in any danger?”

            Silver Sentry shook his head.  “Not according to Chrysalis.  She says he needs to rest; she thinks he hasn’t slept because of his concern for Donatello.  She asks that you all please forgive Raptarr’s oversight in not telling you he’d rescued your brother.  Chrys wanted me to tell you it isn’t his fault; she’s afraid you’ll be angry with Raptarr.”

            “Well, she’s right about that,” Raph said, his voice muffled by Don’s shoulder.

            Don pulled back enough to look into Raph’s eyes.  “Not fair, Raph.  Please, please can we let go of the last few days and focus on right now?  I’m here and unhurt thanks to that man and his forgetfulness doesn’t diminish what he did for me.”

            “If he is ill, then his sacrifice for Donatello makes his act most unselfish.  We are in his debt,” Master Splinter said.

            “If we thank anybody, it should be Chrysalis,” Raph said.  “She found Don and got him home.”

            Silver Sentry smiled.  “I think she may find herself rewarded soon enough, Raphael.  When a woman nurses a man back to health, she usually finds herself stuck with a man.  I get the feeling that wouldn’t be too unpleasant for the young woman in question.”

**********************************

            Chrysalis stood inside the door to a small bedroom staring at Raptarr, who with his back turned to her, was curled into a fetal position on the bed.  After Don had left with Silver Sentry, she’d had a long and interesting conversation with one of the physicians who had cared for Donatello.

            The decision she was making now was a permanent one; at least for Raptarr.  She fully understood the repercussions of any action she might take at this point.  And although there was still time to back away and let Raptarr make his own decision, she knew she wasn’t going to do that.

            Crossing the room, Chrys reached over Raptarr and touched his cheek, which was extremely warm.  His eyes flew open and he leaped from the bed, rushing her and pushing her bodily against the wall.

            She was breathing fast as she looked up into his blue eyes.  Glazed over with lust and the heat that had fully engulfed him, his eyes cut into her.  She felt desire spark its way through her system, and her own needs made her skin jump wherever their two bodies met.

            “Chrysalis,” he moaned, his hot breath pushing the hair back from her face.  “Please, release me from this pledge.  You don’t want me, not like this.”

            “Yes I do,” she told him savagely.  “I’ve always wanted you, but you never had eyes for me.  If I can’t have you any other way than this, then this is what I’ll take.  You can’t resist much longer and I’m here.  I’m not going anywhere.  When the heat has taken away every bit of your rationale mind, you’ll consummate with me and completely forget Donatello.  He doesn’t love you anyway; he loves his brothers.  He sleeps with his brothers, Raptarr – he has sex with his brothers.  Take what I’m offering you; it’s a bargain.”

            With a roar, Raptarr pushed himself away from her and backed against the far wall, his hands covering his face.  Staring at him, she moved forward, slowly and warily, like a cat hunting its prey.

            “I love him.  I love Donatello.  I don’t want this,” he groaned through his fingers.

            “He can never be yours,” Chrys repeated.  She knew she was taunting him, but couldn’t seem to stop.  Some small residual resentment at being ignored by the man she was infatuated with spurred her on.  “When Silver Sentry came to get him, he couldn’t leave fast enough.  All he could think about was his brothers.  He never even asked about you.  They are probably fucking him right now.”

            The cry of anguish that tore from his throat was tortured and horrible.  He slid down the wall, his face still buried in his hands and shook uncontrollably.

            A small voice in the back of her head told her she might have gone too far.  Kneeling in front of Raptarr, she watched him carefully.  She would say no more; she was fully informed on his condition and would know when to take the next step.

**********************************

            Silver Sentry had gone and Don sat in his favorite chair in his lab, contemplating the ceiling.  His brothers had wanted him to lie down and rest, but he’d told them he’d been flat on his back for days already, and would be happy just to sit and think for a bit.

            Mikey had brought him a sandwich and some coffee, followed by a deep and satisfying kiss.  The promise of more was hovering over him, the offer open ended for whenever Don chose to retire for the night. 

            Mikey had hinted that Raph and Leo thought maybe a group snuggle might be called for, and Don couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought of either of those alpha males calling sex a ‘snuggle’.  How Leo thought he was going to perform at all with half his thigh covered in stitches was a mystery and it was tempting to take them all up on the offer just to see how his leader was going to pull off his end of the deal.

            But Don couldn’t get up from the chair when something was bothering him as it was now.  He had the strangest feeling that he had overlooked some item of grave importance.

            Whenever that feeling was on him, he found that letting his mind drift through time and sift through the memories that came and went helped him pull the pieces of the puzzle together.  That’s what he was doing now, starting from Raptarr’s first visit to the lair after his return from Avian.

            Don realized rather quickly how Raptarr had seemed just a little different at that meeting.  He remembered talking about aerodynamics with the Avian, and Raptarr’s offer to let Don touch his wings.  Don also remembered the small sound that had slipped from Raptarr’s lips when he’d stroked his hand through those downy soft feathers.

            He remembered Raptarr’s strong arms holding him as he faced the fear of losing Leo to cyanide poisoning.  Raptarr was solid and steadfast that night; none of his actions were in the least bit overt, but Don could still feel some underlying current in their physical interaction.

            If that feeling hadn’t been pleasant, then Don wouldn’t have agonized so much about it, which is what had led to his making a promise to Chrysalis; essentially giving up his right to attempt to pursue anything with Raptarr.  He had willingly placed himself in that hole to stave off a growing desire for a man who was not one of his brothers.

            Don thought of the look on Raptarr’s face as he gave Don the new mask, and about how that look had made him feel.  He also remembered how he had started to try to think of some way out of his promise to Chrysalis, and the one to his brothers.

            With these memories came the concern for Raptarr himself.  He had saved Don’s life and the Turtle had no clue as to what condition the Avian was in currently.

            Then Don’s mind dipped deeper, into his own subconscious, extracting thin sheets of recorded stimuli; things that had occurred within range of his senses while he slept.  Don was adept at this, enough so that his brothers knew to avoid discussing things in his presence whether he was awake or asleep because they knew he’d pick around until he had their secrets.

            Fragments of conversation came to him.  A physician telling Raptarr to take care of himself, the words ‘mating season’ and ‘metabolism’.

            Chrys’ voice, speaking to Raptarr about ‘heat’ and ‘Avian physiology’.  The sound of her laugh, not the gentle, lilting one; a laugh that was possessive and conniving.  Raptarr’s responding voice, both angry and desperate, asking ‘what do you want?’.

            Next he peeled up something with no sound attached; it was a more sensory memory.  A hand stroking his scutes, fingers gliding across skin, a tongue flicking across his neck.

            Don’s eyes closed as he immersed himself in this particular memory.  Having had no conscious part of it didn’t bother him; in fact, he found himself happily stimulated by it.  He knew now that Raptarr had touched him while he slept, more than was appropriate, but Don also knew that the Avian had not disrespected him by going too far.

            He opened his eyes and began to drop all of the pieces of his puzzle onto a big board in his mind, shoving them around in his agile brain until a picture formed.

            When it did, Don jumped up so quickly his chair overturned.

            “ _Sweet ancestors_ ,” he hissed as he tossed a couple of items into his bag, “ _please let me be on time.”_

            Racing out of the lab, he slammed the door loud enough to startle his brothers, who were all scrunched together on the couch.

            Leo pushed himself to a standing position with the aid of a cane and called to Don’s retreating shell, “Where are you going?”

            “The garage!” Don shouted back, knowing he looked crazed.  “I have to get back to Avian!”

            Raph protest rang out just as the elevator doors slid closed.  Don knew they’d be after him and that he only had seconds to grab his tech pack, escape the garage, get to a rooftop and take off before they tried to yank him back.

            Fortunately, his pack was the only one working, so they couldn’t follow him.  They would have to call Silver Sentry and that would hopefully give Don enough time.  If Leo wasn’t injured, the end of this race would have been a foregone conclusion, but happily, neither Raph nor Mikey were as fast as their big brother.

            He jammed a screwdriver in the elevator door.  That would buy him another minute or so. 

            Grabbing his tech pack, he ran for the garage door, unlocked it and darted into the darkened alley without bothering to check to see if anyone was around.  He just didn’t have time for caution.

            His luck held.  There were no humans to see him and he raced across the street to the old abandoned building sitting there, taking its creaking fire escape up to the roof.

            Don heard Mikey’s yell as he vaulted onto the rooftop.  He was strapping the tech pack on as he ran to the other side, already hearing the heavy sound of his brother’s feet hitting the rickety metal of the fire escape behind him.  Don only prayed that Leo hadn’t joined the pursuit and torn his stitches again.

            Pausing on the ledge to make a quick systems check, he heard his brothers reach the roof top.

            “Dammit Don!  What the fuck are ya’ doing?” Raph roared at his back.

            “I told you,” Don told him, glancing over his shoulder, “I have to go back to Avian.  Trust me Raph, please.  I’ll be back soon, it’s a matter of life and death.”

            “Tell us Don.  You’re scaring me,” Mikey begged, inching forward.

            “I haven’t lost my mind and there isn’t time.  I have my shell cell if I need you guys.  Don’t come after me and don’t send anyone.”  He turned completely around to face them and they both stopped moving.  “ _Please_!” he begged them.  “You have to trust me on this.”

            Without another word, he ignited the fuel, spun on his heel, and leaped from the roof top.  Air borne, he looked back and saw Raph and Mikey at the ledge, and Leo standing in the alley below.

**********************************

            Chrys had eased Raptarr back to his feet and was standing pressed against his chest, the tips of her fingers resting on his hip while her other hand gently caressed his neck.  She was whispering nonsense to him; the words didn’t matter, it was the seductive tone that was breaking through his final barriers.

            There was little of Raptarr’s conscious mind left; his physical needs were almost in complete control.  His eyes were closed and his breathing off as Chrys touched her lips to his neck, kissing him again and again on his throat and jawline until he was moaning.

            Finally, one of his hands slid up over her thigh and hip and came to rest on her waist.  Her smile was triumphant; it was time for him to fulfill their bargain and consummate their joining.

            The slam of the door as it was forcefully shoved open made her jump and spin.

            “Leave him alone, Chrysalis,” Don ordered.

            “Noooo!” she shrieked.  Chrys felt Raptarr’s hand leave her and she turned back to him.

            “Look at me, Raptarr.  We need to finish this,” she urged, striving for a seductive tone.

            But Raptarr was not looking at her; he only had eyes for Donatello.

            “I figured it out, Chrys,” Don told her.  “All the lies; the manipulation.  I live with an expert so I’ve seen it all before.  It just took me a while to put everything together.  Raptarr doesn’t need to procreate; he only needs to bond by mating to satisfy his blood’s call for a partner.  And while painful, it doesn’t stultify his thought processes, does it?”

            “No, damn you,” Chrys hissed over her shoulder.

            “He didn’t ask for your help either, did he?” Don asked.

            “No, I didn’t,” Raptarr said, his voice trembling.  “She said she wouldn’t tell your brothers that I drugged you and molested you while you were unconscious if I agreed to be her mate.  I’m sorry Donatello.  I didn’t drug you, but . . . but I did touch . . . .”

            “I know.”  Don interrupted him.  “I don’t care about that.  All I care about is that you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”

            “He hasn’t any choice,” Chrysalis said.  “If he doesn’t bond this time he’s going to die.  All these years he’s put it off because being on Earth delayed his cycle.  I confirmed it with the physicians.  His time is up.  You can’t bond with him because of your brothers and your promise to me, ninja.  If he doesn’t consummate with me now, he’s a dead Avian.”  Her satisfaction at that statement was apparent by the smug smile on her lips.

            “You remind me of my word and the fact that as a ninja, I’m honor bound by it.  But you should remember something Chrysalis; when you take the word of a ninja, you should understand exactly what that word is.  What I said to you was ‘I’ll do what I can’.  I think I’ve done that.  I’ve given you an open field and he still doesn’t want you.”

            Chrys was shaking in her fury.  “You still can’t get around your brothers, Don.”

            “That is something I’ll have to come to terms with in my own family, Chrysalis.  For right now, my honor lies in giving Raptarr back his freedom of choice by removing your threat.  I think I’ve done that, so let him choose, Chrys.  Please tell me you have the dignity to walk away from a man who doesn’t want you.”

            She was staring up at Raptarr, her eyes pleading.  “Raptarr,” she said softly.  “I can give you so much.  I was simply desperate; I know this was the wrong way to gain your affection, but I want you so badly.  Tell me to stay.”

            Raptarr’s eyes came down to her.  “I can’t Chrysalis.  I know what’s going to happen to me, but I have gone all these years without someone because I want to feel love.  Without it, I would rather be consumed by my heat.  Forgive me.”

            Chrysalis found she had lost her anger as she searched the angelic blue of his eyes.  She wanted the storybook ending, but Don was right; she was a member of the Justice Force, one of the good guys and she had dignity.

            “I’m sorry,” she sobbed.  “I’m so, so sorry.  I have acted horribly this last week.  I should beg your forgiveness.”  Moving away from Raptarr, she told Don, “I should beg for forgiveness from both of you.  What can I do?”

            “Go home, Chrys, please.  And could you tell Silver Sentry he needn’t come after me; that everything is fine between Raptarr and myself.  I’m going to sit with him until it’s over,” Don said.

            “I will.  Goodbye Raptarr,” she told him.

            “Goodbye Chrysalis,” he said in return.

            Don crossed to the door and shut it quietly behind her.  When he looked back at Raptarr, he saw the Avian had lowered his head and shoulders, his whole attitude that of a man who has given up hope.

            The sound of the lock being turned made Raptarr look up sharply.

            “Don?” he asked, startled as he watched his Turtle friend remove his bag from his shoulder, his bo staff from his back, and then his belt and pads.  “What are you doing?”

            Don moved to stand in front of Raptarr.  When the Avian met his eyes, he asked, “What is your final choice, Raptarr?  You have still to make it.”

            Raptarr’s mouth opened, and then closed again.  With a slight quiver, he finally managed, “I thought I had.  I can’t have you and I don’t want anyone else.”

            Don reached up to untie his mask.  He was completely naked now.  Holding out his hand, he said, “I never said you couldn’t have me.”

            Raptarr drew a deep, gasping breath.  “Don, you can’t do this for me.  It isn’t fair of me to interfere in your family.  You owe me nothing; we’ve saved each other’s lives an equal number of times.”

            “This isn’t a thank you token for saving my life, Raptarr,” Don told him.  “I think you’ve seen my confusion and know how I’ve been feeling about you.  I’m not confused anymore, I don’t have to worry about broken vows, and I want this.  I want to be with you.”

            His hand was still outstretched and Raptarr’s came up to meet it.  Don gripped his hand tightly and pulled Raptarr to meet him halfway.

            Standing close to him, Don could feel the heat radiating off of the Avian.  His free hand traveled over Raptarr’s collarbone and reached further to touch a wing.

            Raptarr shuddered as he felt Don’s hand stroke along the upper curve of his wing and he opened them just a bit in response.

            “Donatello, Don,” he moaned.  “That . . . that feels so good.  Please, I have to tell you . . . you have to understand what happens when an Avian mates.  We . . . we mate for life, Don.”

            Don nodded, his concentration on Raptarr’s wing unfaltering.  “I realized that when everything else came to me.”  He looked into Raptarr’s eyes and said, “I can make that commitment, Raptarr.  I have no doubts.”

            He leaned forward and tipped his head back slightly, watching as Raptarr moved down to him slowly.

            “I’ve never kissed anyone,” Raptarr admitted, his lips close to Don’s.

            “Let me guide you, then,” Don offered and pressed his mouth to Raptarr’s.

            The Avian’s heat warmed his entire body immediately and Don shifted to press his plastron against Raptarr’s chest.  Leaving a hand resting on one wing, Don took the other one out of Raptarr’s hand and passed his arm around the Avian’s waist to press his palm into the small of Raptarr’s back.

            Raptarr lifted his hands to Don’s shoulders and pulled him even closer, the heat in his body making him more aggressive than normal.  Don moved his mouth on Raptarr’s, urging him to open his lips, and another shudder ran over the Avian’s body as he let Don deepen the kiss, their tongues meeting for the first time.

            When their mouths parted, Raptarr was panting.  He moved a hand to Don’s plastron and began to stroke across the scutes, touching again the nicks and scratches he’d explored once before. 

            The result this time was no less satisfying than before; Don moaned lightly and nearly closed his eyes, and when Raptarr traced the center frontline from top to just below his beltline, Don released a deep, aroused churr.

            Raptarr smiled and trailed his fingers back up, trying to force the same sound out of Don.  His friend chuckled.

            “It’s called a ‘churr’,” he said by way of explanation.  “We make it when we are contented or sexually aroused.”

            Raptarr searched his eyes, and asked, “Which are you?”

            Don breathed out, “Both.”

            They kissed again, deeply, and then Don broke off to ask, “How do I take off your shirt?”

            Raptarr was shaking as he turned slightly to show Don how his vest was secured in the back.  His eyes closed as he felt Don’s agile fingers release the fastenings and remained closed as Don pulled the garment off of him.

            It was Don’s turn to explore.  He stroked a hand along the rippling muscles of Raptarr’s abdomen, another over the broad, solid expanse of the Avian’s chest.  Both hands played over Raptarr’s shoulders and his collar bone, and then Don moved around to his side and smoothed a hand over Raptarr’s muscular back.

            Don once more touched Raptarr’s wing and the Avian inhaled sharply.

            “Raptarr?” Don hesitated, his fingers partway through a mass of beautiful white feathers.

            “So good,” Raptarr moaned, his mind lost in the sensory response.  Another stroke had him spreading his wings farther and shaking with need.

            Don watched his reactions as he quickly switched to the other wing.  In a matter of moments, Raptarr’s wings were fully extended and his chest rose and fell quickly as moans of delight rolled out of his body.

            Raptarr felt the blood flowing to his cock and his pants became painfully tight very quickly.

            “Oh, Don, oh please,” he pleaded, “I n . . . need more.”

            Understanding, Don kicked his bag close to the bed, took Raptarr’s hand and led him over.  Don sat on the edge and while Raptarr folded his wings, the Turtle undid the fastenings on his pants and pulled them down, holding them as Raptarr stepped out of the garment.

            Raptarr’s erect and turgid cock sprang up and the Avian groaned with relief and then gasped as Don wrapped his hand around the shaft and began to pump him.

            “Ahh!  Ah!  Don!”  Raptarr cried out, his entire body filled with sparks at the feeling of a hand other than his own on his cock.  When Don tipped forward and flicked his tongue over the head, every muscle in Raptarr’s body pulled tight and his toes dug into the floor.

            “Sit down,” Don told him, taking his hand off of Raptarr’s pulsing member, determined to guide him carefully to completion and very aware that as a virgin, Raptarr wouldn’t be able to hold on for very long.

            “We have to do this right,” Don said as he reached into his bag and pulled out a tube of lubricant.

            Raptarr managed a chuckle, although it was shaky with nerves and lust.  Don smiled gently at him and leaned forward to capture another kiss.

            The Avian moved a hand over Don’s plastron again, and then broke the kiss to press his mouth against Don’s neck.  Don began to shake when Raptarr found the very sensitive spot on his throat, and his cock, which had already expanded painfully beneath his shell, dropped down.

            Raptarr’s roaming hand found it quickly and slid eagerly over the thick shaft.  Everything that he had denied himself before he was determined to do now, and lowering his head, he used his tongue to lave Don’s cock completely before wrapping his entire mouth around the shaft.

            Don’s eyes closed at the ecstasy of the Avian’s warm tongue and hot mouth.  He slowly lay back on his carapace and Raptarr followed his movements without taking his mouth off of Don’s rigid cock.

            A few minutes more and he would be completely undone and he didn’t want that.  Don wanted them to orgasm together, so with an effort, he pushed Raptarr off of his dick.

            Raptarr looked up at him, confused.  “You need to prep me,” Don said and offered the lubricant to Raptarr.

            The Avian licked his lips and nodded, so eager he fumbled the top off the tube and dropped both.  When he retrieved the lube, Don leaned forward and touched his hand to Raptarr’s shoulder.

            “Take your time, Raptarr.  Take a deep breath and go slow, okay?”

            Raptarr inhaled and swallowed.  “Okay.”

            Squeezing some lubricant onto his finger, he slowly traced around Don’s puckered entrance as the Turtle lay back again and spread his legs wide.  A deep breath, and Raptarr inserted a finger slowly, stopping when he heard Don’s breath hitch.

            “It’s all right.  A little more lube and keep going,” Don instructed.

            Pulling his finger out, Raptarr squeezed out a more generous dollop of the lubricant and moved to insert his finger once more.  This time Don remained relaxed, and Raptarr moved in as far as he could before pulling the finger out and slicking two.

            He took his time pushing two fingers into Don, who he felt tense up slightly.  Moving his fingers around inside Donatello, he scissored them and stretched Don carefully.

            Panting, Don told him, “That’s good enough, Raptarr.  Now your cock.  Cover it with lubricant.”

            Raptarr followed Don’s directions, his slicked up hand making wet sucking noises in the quiet of the room.  Wiping his hand on the sheets, he crawled between Don’s thighs and hesitated.

            “Raptarr,” Don urged, “no more waiting.  I want to feel you inside of me.”

            His desire and need too overwhelming to hold back any longer, Raptarr pushed his cock into Don’s wonderfully tight and amazingly soft ass.  The heat and satin combination folded itself around Raptarr’s shaft as he slid further in, until he was fully sheathed in Don’s incredible body.

            He bit his lip to near bleeding as the glory of it overtook his senses, and then he felt Don lift his hips upwards.

            “It works better if you move,” Don told him a little breathlessly.

            Raptarr pulled back and thrust forward experimentally, and then his body took over, instinct settling his hips into a rhythm.  He heard Don churr again, and bracing himself one handed, he grabbed Don’s thick, leaking cock and began to pump it in time with his own thrusts.

            Desperate for the sensations to last, Raptarr tried to hold off the inevitable, but his body was not cooperative.  The glorious ecstasy drowned his entire being, and he began to thrust violently and mindlessly, reaching for his orgasm.

            When he began to hit Don’s prostate, the Turtle cried out and started to writhe beneath him.  Glorifying in giving Donatello that kind of pleasure, Raptarr increased the speed of his strokes on Don’s cock, feeling as it throbbed and suddenly expanded.

            With a wild cry, Don came, spurting strongly across Raptarr’s chest, hand and his own plastron.  Raptarr continued to milk him, dragging out the last drops of his seed while his movements in and out of Don’s ass lost their rhythm and his hips began to move faster.

            “Don, Don,” Raptarr moaned as an undeniable volcano gathered in his groin.  One last hard thrust and he climaxed, screaming Don’s name in glorious rapture.

            He collapsed against Donatello, his mind fogged and still riding in a cloud.  The pain that had wracked his body was gone, the irrational anger and dread were gone, the burning heat was gone.  In its place was a beautiful peace, a comfortable cocoon of sheer happiness.

            Don slowly came down from his own orgasmic high and reached up to pet the curve of wingspan above him.  He felt Raptarr shudder, and then the Avian pulled out of him and rolled off of his body to lay next to him.

            “If you pet my wings, you had best be prepared for another round, Donatello,” Raptarr told him with a grin.

            “If you are capable of getting it up that quickly after our last one, I might take you up on that threat,” Don retorted and smiled.

            Raptarr’s face grew serious.  “Now that we’ve made this decision, there are ramifications that have to be dealt with.”

            “I know,” Don caught one of Raptarr’s hands in his own and squeezed it.  “Believe me when I tell you this was a rational choice for me, Raptarr.  I wanted to be with you more than anything.  We are going to have some difficult things to work out, but I want to work them out together.”

            “And your family?” Raptarr asked.

            Don rolled his head to look up at the ceiling for a moment, then he turned back to Raptarr.

            “I think it’s time for my family to grow,” he said.


	51. JF51 Over The Edge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,768  
> Rated: R  
> Summary: Life just gets more confusing for a certain hot head.

            “What do ya’ mean ya’ can’t go up there and bring him back?” Raph demanded.

            Silver Sentry stood in the middle of the lair, a pained look on his face.

            “I’m sorry Raphael.  Chrysalis told me that Donatello specifically asked that I _not_ come after him.”

            “I don’t care what he asked,” Raph stormed.  “He ain’t in his right mind and we have ta do something.”

            “She told me he was quite rational,” Silver Sentry said.

            “Rational?  _Rational_?” Raph snatched up a heavy book lying nearby and would have flung it across the room if not for the strong furry hand which grabbed his wrist.

            Master Splinter reached up with the other hand and twisted the book out of his sons grip.  Setting it aside, he released Raph’s arm and said, “Control yourself, my son.”

            Taking advantage of the momentary lull, Leo asked, “Did he send any other message, SS?”

            “You must understand that Chrysalis was somewhat distraught.  She was extremely worried about Raptarr’s condition and had become very attached to him.  All she could tell me was that Don had taken over as Raptarr’s caretaker and that Raptarr had approved the change,”  Silver Sentry told him.

            He did not add what he had read between the lines during their conversation.  Chrysalis was very obviously obsessed with the Avian, and it appeared that Raptarr was equally as taken with Donatello.

            “What the hell did he do ta’ my brother while he had him up there?” Raph snapped.

            “Raph, please,” Leonard began only to be cut off as Raph spun on him.

            “I mean it, Leo.  That bird man had Don up there for four days.  Don admits he was unconscious for most of it, so what the hell makes him want ta go back up there unless Raptarr did something ta him?”

            “I admit I find this somewhat vexing myself, Silver Sentry.  Donatello is very devoted to his family; it is unlike him to cause us unneeded worry,” Master Splinter said.

            “For fuck’s sake, he was only home for a few hours,” Raph cursed.  “He spent most of that time sitting in his lab chair staring at the ceiling.”

            “Maybe he’s in love,” Mikey said quietly.  He was perched on the back of the couch, watching his siblings as they tried to understand Don’s sudden departure.

            “I’m gonna pretend ya’ didn’t say that,” Raph growled ominously.

            “Why?” Mikey asked, jumping off the couch.  “You think if you ignore it then it won’t be real?  Or maybe you’ll just beat the notion out of Don when he does decide to come home.”

            “Mikey!” Leo snapped.

            Mikey suddenly looked chagrined.  “Sorry.  But dude’s, Raptarr’s _always_ had eyes for Don, or hadn’t any one of you noticed?”

            Before the thoroughly riled Raph could say anything, Master Splinter spoke.  “I too recently noticed a certain spark between the pair.  I will admit, I do not understand Donatello’s sudden urgency to return to Avian this evening, but I have faith that if he claims it is due to a life or death situation, then that is so.”

            “He really didn’t seem confused or unduly influenced when he left here,” Leo admitted.  “He just seemed worried and anxious.”

            “I’m telling you guys, cupid’s arrow found our little Donny,” Mike said.

            “NO!”  Raph shouted.  Tearing out of Master Splinter’s grasp, he stormed into the dojo and they could all hear the sounds of objects hitting the floor.

            “I am sorry, Silver Sentry, that you were subjected to Raphael’s outburst.  I wish to thank you for coming to deliver Donatello’s message.”  Master Splinter said.

            “Are you sure you don’t wish to speak to Chrysalis?  Or, if you tell me you feel that Donatello has been influenced unnaturally, I can take one of you to Avian to check on him.”  Silver Sentry offered.

            “That won’t be necessary,” Leo said.  The more he thought about the last few hours, the more he came to believe that Mikey’s assessment was correct.

            Silver Sentry took his leave then.  Master Splinter looked into Leonardo’s face searchingly after the man’s departure.

            They could still hear Raph’s temper controlling him, and Mikey was fidgeting nearby, knowing something would have to be done about it soon.

            “Tell me what you are thinking, my son,” Master Splinter asked Leo, placing a gentle hand on his arm.

            Leo glanced into his father’s eyes, then dipped his head to look down.  “I was thinking of a vow made two years ago, sensei, and of the words you said to us then.  That we should fully understand what we had chosen to become, and what that path might eventually lead us into.  We did not think it completely through, did we father?”

            Master Splinter’s mouth twitched into a small smile.  “It is easy to swear to do something when there is no chance temptation may sway you from your path.  You and your brothers made a choice based on a reasonable belief that your decision was the only way any of you would find love and happiness.  A vow may be broken if the circumstances under which that vow was given have radically changed.  I will admit, I would have been happier if the four of you could have met beforehand to discuss the changes occurring within this family.”

            He turned to look at Mikey, his expression severe, and Mikey had the good graces to look abashed.

            Master Splinter continued,  “But since actions have already taken place, it would be best to have those discussions now, with those present.  When Donatello returns, additional discussion will be warranted.”

            Leo bowed and said, “Thank you Master.  Mikey and I will go and talk to Raphael.”

            Master Splinter stepped back, telling him as he walked past, “It will be difficult to make him listen, but he may be receptive.  After all, he went into the dojo; he did not dash out of the lair as he usually does when he is angry.”

            With that thought in his mind, Leo crossed the threshold into the dojo; Mikey trailing along behind him.

            Raph’s temper had done a number on the dojo.  Free weights were scattered across the floor, mats pulled from the pile and tossed every which way, even a few shuriken dotted the brick walls.

            Raph himself was leaning over the arms of the wooden practice dummy, his head down, his breathing harsh and ragged.

            When he heard Leo approach, his head snapped up and the leader could see the pain and fury which were vying for control of Raph’s face.

            “ _Not_ Donny,” Raph hissed at him.  “No way would Donny ever leave us.”

            Leo felt the thick emotion roll over him as Raph pushed it out.  “He hasn’t left us, Raph,” he said softly.

            Raph slammed his hand down on a wooden arm and Mikey jumped.  Leo remained calm, even walking two steps closer to Raphael.

            “Ya’ damn right he hasn’t left us,” Raph said.  “That fucking flying freak took him.  He did something ta Don and we gotta get him back and fix it.”

            “Raph, as much as we may not want to face reality, Donatello made the choice to return to Avian of his own free will.  Maybe it was just concern for a friend or maybe it was something more, we have no way of knowing until he comes back and tells us.  If we haven’t heard from him by morning, I’ll call,”  Leo assured him.

            “Why wait ‘til morning, Leo?” Raph turned around and narrowed his eyes.  “Why doncha call him now?”

            An embarrassed silence followed his question, and he looked from Leo to Mike, and then back.

            “Ya’ think he’s fucking Raptarr right now, doncha?” Raph asked.

            Mikey shuffled around a bit, and then blurted, “Damn, Raph, why do you have to be like this?  You can’t _own_ us, dude.  There has to be a compromise somewhere, ‘cause whether you like it or not, I’m still in love with Nano.”

            Raph threw his hands in the air, exasperated.  “Well, shit Mikey, every time we fuck ya’ say ya’ love me too.  Is that how this works for ya’?  Anything willing ta fuck ya’ gets your love?”

            Mikey swallowed the answer a quick flare of temper almost pushed out of him.  Instead, he asked Raph, “Did you think I couldn’t still love you if I found someone Raph?  Are you clinging to us because you’re afraid we’ll all find someone else and you’ll be alone?”

            The look on Raph’s face answered the question.  “Donny said I’d always have him,” Raph whispered.

            Leo and Mikey exchanged glances.  Leo drew closer to Raph, touching a hand to his neck.  “You’ll always have all of us Raph,” he assured him.

            Raph jerked back away from his touch, not ready to be mollified just yet.  “Really?  Is that what ya’ say to Nobody when he’s putting the moves on ya’?  Ya’ never did answer my question last night Leo.  Dragging me off ta’ bed was a great tactic, but I haven’t forgotten that ya’ smelled all over like Nobody.  He’s been sniffing around ya’ for weeks and I wanna know right the fuck now what’s going on.”

            “I’m sorry for eavesdropping, but I think it best if I participate in this discussion at this point.” 

            A deep voice interrupted them, and three heads turned towards the dojo door.

            Nobody walked out of the shadows and into the candlelight.  Stripping his mask from his head, he let his eyes meet Leo’s quickly before turning them back on Raphael.

            “Hiding things has become such a habit of mine, I forget that it isn’t always the best policy,” Nobody said.

            “Nobody, this isn’t the time . . . .” Leo began to say, stopping at Nobody’s upraised palm.

            “I can’t watch you struggle with this anymore, Leonardo.  It hurts me to see how you are pulled apart by your sense of love and duty to your family, and by the promise you made to your brothers.  I understand the emotions here are raw at the moment because Donatello returned to Avian, but in some ways that makes what I have to say so much more important,” Nobody told him.

            Raph moved away from the wooden dummy and both of his brothers slowly, coming around to face Nobody.  His voice was low and ominous as he growled, “Then go ahead and say it.”

            “Raphael, no,” Leo ordered.  He threw a look of desperation towards Nobody, willing him to remain silent, but Nobody had fixed his eyes on Raph.

            “I’m in love with Leonardo,” Nobody admitted out loud.

            Raph leaped for his throat.


	52. JF52 Turmoil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,860  
> Rated: R  
> Summary: Emotions run high as secrets are revealed.

            _“Holy crap, Raph’s gonna kill him!”_ Mikey thought as soon as he saw Raph charge Nobody.

            His first instinct was to grab Raph and hold him back, but unfortunately, that was also Leo’s first instinct.  When Mikey heard Leo’s cane hit the floor, all thoughts of saving Nobody from the hot head left his mind in favor of preventing Leo from tearing loose yet another row of stitches.

            So rather than stopping a fight before it could begin, Mikey wound up dragging Leo out of the middle of it.

            Raph’s hands grabbed for Nobody’s throat, his eyes blazing with fury.  Nobody quickly ducked under the outstretched hands, wrapped his arms around Raph’s chest and tackled him to the ground.

            The landing knocked the breath out of Raph for just a second.  Nobody, whose fall was cushioned by Raph’s body, tried to reason with him.

            “Please, Raphael.  I don’t want to fight you.”

            “Too damn bad,” Raph hissed through clenched teeth as his fist came up and connected solidly with Nobody’s jaw.

            The blow sent Nobody sprawling backwards and Raph flipped onto his feet and charged him.

            Tucking his shoulders, Nobody rolled over swiftly, got his hands under him and sprang away from Raph.  Regaining his feet, he got his forearm up in time to block first one blow, then another, each of Raph’s punches powerful and painful.

            “Raphael, stop this now!” Leo shouted to no avail.  The only sound Raph could hear was an angry buzzing in his head.

            As Raph came at him again, Nobody turned slightly to the side and snapped a quick kick into the Turtles plastron.  Raph grunted as the kick shoved him backwards and then with a snarl he leaped skyward, spinning at the waist to deliver a powerful roundhouse kick to Nobody’s chin.

            When Nobody saw the kick coming, he started to twist away, but he wasn’t fast enough to avoid the blow entirely.  The strike left him seeing stars, but he couldn’t afford to stop moving; he could hear Raph rushing to finish him.

            Flinging his cape up and around in a high arc, he managed to momentarily blind Raph and took the advantage to deliver a solid uppercut to the Turtle’s jaw.  Raph staggered back, then his fists came up and he began to drive into Nobody; those tight, solid hands like sledgehammers as they pummeled the dark avenger’s body.

            Ducking a hard left, Nobody fell into a crouch and swung one leg out, sweeping Raph’s feet from under him.  Raph scissored his legs around, spun on his carapace and swung back to his feet as Nobody dove at him.

            Pulling his head back from a right hook, Raph took the blow on his neck below the jawline and spun away, twisting his body to deliver a backward elbow strike.

            Mikey had seen enough.  Pushing Leo against the wall he said, “Stay here.”

            His eyes locked with Leo’s for the split second it took to make sure Leo would do as he was told, and Mikey dove into the middle of the battle.

            As luck would have it, Master Splinter entered the dojo at that moment, drawn by the sounds of Leo’s shouts.

            “Raphael!” he called loudly, and strode forward just as Mikey caught one of Raph’s arms and pulled him back.

            Nobody staggered backwards, his eyes locked on Raphael as he tried to catch his breath.  Mikey struggled with his brother, trying to hold him, but the blood lust was in Raph’s eyes and he started to slip free.

            “No more Raphael!”  Master Splinter ordered, stepping between his son and Nobody.

            Raph’s head shot up, his anger flashing like lasers from his gold eyes.  “He thinks he’s in love with Leo!  He thinks he’s just gonna prance in here and walk off with my brother!”

            Leo pushed himself away from the wall and moved to stand directly in front of Raph.

            “No,” he said in a low voice.

            Raph pulled against Mikey’s hold and one of Leo’s palms came up to press against the hot heads plastron.

            “Ya’ tell me ya’ don’t feel the same, Leo.  Ya’ tell me right now,” Raph husked, his voice hoarse with emotion.

            Leo shut his eyes for a second, and then looked into Raph’s.  “I can’t, Raph.  I-I don’t know how I feel yet.”

            Raph was breathing hard, but he had stopped struggling and Mikey slowly released his arm.

            “That’s some shit, Leo,” Raph whispered, pushing his face within inches of his brother’s.  “That’s some shit ya’ fed me this morning when I asked ya’ what was going on with ya’ and Nobody.  Ya’ gonna tell him what the two of us did so ya’ could avoid answering my question?  Or have ya’ been taking it up the ass for him too?”

            Mikey saw Leo’s quiver and knew that Raph’s question had cut him.  He wasn’t sure if Master Splinter or Nobody could hear the exchange; Raph was keeping his voice pitched low, delivering his words with harsh venom.

            “Beyond a kiss, I haven’t been intimate with anyone else, Raph.  Not ever,” Leo told him in the same low whisper.  “I’m not going to let anyone take me away from you.”

            Raph’s hand came up to grip the back of Leo’s neck tightly.  “Ya’ tell him that, Leo.  Ya’ tell him ta go away and not come back.”

            Leo’s eyes held Raph’s.  “I can’t do that yet, Raph.  I have to be honest with you.  I may want to pursue something more with Nobody.”

            Raph went completely still, his hand still holding onto the back of Leo’s neck as his eyes searched Leo’s.

            “This ain’t over,” Raph growled, pushing away from his two brothers.  His arm came up, a finger pointing directly at Nobody.  “This ain’t over, dark man.  Ya’ ain’t getting my brother, I can promise ya’ that.”

            “Raphael, come into my room now,”  Master Splinter commanded as he watched his red banded son march towards the door.

            “I gotta go, Master Splinter.  I just – I gotta go,”  Raph said without pausing.  Within seconds he had disappeared from the lair.

            Nobody said, “Master Splinter, I must apologize.”

            Mikey didn’t wait around to hear the rest.  Leaving the dojo, he walked into the kitchen, straddled a chair and pulled out his phone.

            _“Hello?”_ Ananda answered quickly.

            “Hey, it’s me, Mikey.  I um, I have some stuff I need to tell you, but I don’t really want to do it over the phone.  Are you in the middle of something, or can I come over?  I need to bring the launch back to you guys anyway.”

            _“Is everything okay, Mikey?  You sound upset,”_ she said, worry in her tone.

            “Actually, the answer is it’s too soon to tell.  I’ll be there in a little while,” Mikey said.

            _“I’ll be waiting,”_ she told him.

            She was true to her word.  When he pulled up to the dock, she was outside waiting for him.

            “Silver Sentry has been closeted in the operations room for hours, Chrysalis is locked in her room, Tsunami came out of his room for like, three seconds, and I haven’t seen Raptarr in days.  No one will tell me a thing.  I feel like a mushroom,” Ananda told Mikey as he stepped onto the dock.

            He grinned, “Hey, if no one will tell you anything, at least they aren’t feeding you sh . . . .”

            Her hand came up to stop him.  “Okay, poor analogy.  Please Mikey, what’s going on?  Isn’t Donatello back home?”

            Mikey waved at the dock and said, “Pull up a chair, this may take a while.”

            Ana was a good listener; Mikey had to give her that.  She didn’t interrupt with even one question as he recited all that had happened in the last twelve hours.

            He didn’t spare her any details, nor did he gloss over what he had guessed was happening between Don and Raptarr.  Why he had suddenly decided to make Ananda his confidant was something he wasn’t even sure about.  All he did know is that he wanted someone to talk to; and she was very comfortable to be around.

            Plus there was the fact that she had a crush on Don, and Mikey felt it was somehow his duty to let her down as gently as possible.

            When he finished talking, he watched her face.  They were sitting side by side on the dock, two pairs of legs swinging over the edge.  Ana’s hands were braced against the wooden planks on either side of her, and her head was down, her eyes watching the waters ebb and flow.

            “So, uh, what are you thinking?” Mikey finally asked.

            Ananda sighed.  “I’m so sorry this is all happening to your family Mikey.  I wish there was something I could do.”

            Her answer surprised him a bit.  He found it very endearing that she wasn’t thinking about herself at all; her concern was very unselfish.

            “I’m sorry about Don,” he said.  “I mean, I don’t really know for sure that he and Raptarr are, uh, you know.  But the chances are pretty good.”

            “It’s okay, Mikey.”  Ana sat up straight and turned her head to look at him.  “I have a crush on Don; I’m not madly in love with him.  If he and Raptarr are together, then I can accept that and be happy for them.”

            “Really?” Mikey asked.

            Ananda smiled, “Yeah, really.”  She gave him a playful poke in his arm and her brown eyes twinkled with good humor.

            _“Shell, Don totally missed his chance,”_ Mikey thought as he grinned at her.  Her eyes were almost the same expressive, rich shade of brown as Don’s, a color that was one of Mikey’s personal favorites.

            That and the thick, glossy red hair made for one attractive lady.  Not to mention the fact that she had a really rocking body.  Even the glowing red dome on her head was sexy.

            Mikey blinked and shook his head.  Where had that come from?

            “Did you want to come say hi to Nano?” Ananda asked.  “He’s out of stasis and in his own room again.  I uploaded the latest batch of recovered memories just before you called, so I don’t really know what he remembers now.”

            “Oh, heck yeah.”  Mikey jumped to his feet and offered a hand to Ana.

            When she put her hand in his, he felt a tiny spark travel from her fingertips, up his arm and into his chest, making him catch his breath.  She jumped up gracefully next to him; suddenly standing very close, and their eyes locked.

            For two heartbeats they remained like that, frozen in surprised discovery of a mutual attraction, and then Ananda slipped her fingers from his hand and stepped back with a blush.

            “We sh . . . should go in before Nano comes out looking for us,” she stammered slightly.  “I told him you were coming.”

            “Okay,” he answered lamely, and proceeded to follow her.

            Only this time his eyes traced the outline of her curves, something he hadn’t bothered to notice before.

            _“Damn!”_ he thought, giving himself a mental kick.  _“What the shell is wrong with me?”_


	53. JF53 Riding The Storm Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 2,127  
> Rated: NC-17  
> Summary: Raphael is a hurricane; can anyone get through to him?

            Donatello had told him once that there were over four hundred square miles in New York City.

            Why then did it feel as though he was running in circles?

            Two hours of running had taken him to a rooftop overlooking an older section of the city; one that was quite close to Casey’s apartment.  He might have considered stopping by to talk things over with Case, but the fathead was more than likely over at April’s.

            Raph wasn’t in the right frame of mind for company anyway.  All the running hadn’t loosened the tight knot in his muscles left over from his fight with Nobody.  The pummeling Raph had given a couple of  thieves who he’d caught in the act of stealing an old man’s television hadn’t worked out the frustration of the situation at home.

            The harsh breathing caused by his overworked lungs didn’t expel the bad taste in his mouth as he thought about his oldest brother kissing Nobody.

            It didn’t matter how much he ran, how far, or how many buildings he leaped across; he couldn’t get the mental image out of his mind.  All of the mental images; Mikey and his robot lover, Don offering himself to the winged man and now Leo, admitting he might have intimate thoughts about a guy who roamed the city in black tights and a cape.

            It was a fucked up motion picture reel that kept playing over and over in his head until he thought his brain might burst.

            Finally collapsing on the ledge of the building he was on, Raph put his head down and squeezed his temples between sore hands.  They were his brothers, his _lovers_ ; that’s how things were supposed to stay, not all of them scattering to the wind.  If he thought hard enough, there had to be a way to fix this and put everything back the way it had been.

            A faint crunching sound told him he was no longer alone on the roof.  Raph didn’t bother to turn around; at the moment he didn’t care if it was one of his enemies.  If they took a swing at him, well then he’d move, but he was damned if he was gonna let someone screw with him right now.  He wasn’t in the mood.

            Whoever it was, they stopped several feet behind him and stayed put.  Raph sat still for another ten minutes, listening to the person breathe lightly; the only sound they made.

            Without turning to look, Raph asked in a low voice, “How’d ya’ find me?”

            “You forget that finding people is something I’m very good at,” Tsunami answered.  “I noticed your patterns during our time hunting together and remembered that this is a place you like to come when you want to think.”

            “’S great; fucking marvelous,” Raph grumbled.  “Now I’m predictable.  I might as well just hang a sign out for the Foot that says ‘come get me’.

            He thought he heard Tsunami snicker, but the sound moved too fast to be sure.

            “Are you feeling sorry for yourself, Raphael?  Silver Sentry told me about Donatello, and Nobody limped home a little while ago.  I think you bruised his ribs.  I finally got him to tell me a little of his affair with Leonardo and the reason for your fight,” Tsunami said.

            Raph didn’t bother to look at him.  “Glad ta’ hear about the ribs.  Wish I’d broken them.”

            “Just what exactly would that have solved?” Tsunami wanted to know.

            “Ya’ ain’t gonna start doing this thing where ya’ talk about feeling’s now, are ya’ Tsu?  ‘Cause if so, I’ll just eat my sai right now and save myself the misery.”

            This time Tsunami did chuckle.  “I would think you’d be willing to try something new since your pretending to be a wrecking ball isn’t helping your temperament or your cause.”

            “Fuck off,” Raph snapped.  “What is it with the fucking Justice Force anyway?  Did someone put something in your drinking water?”

            “You weren’t complaining last night,” Tsunami reminded him.

            Without answering, Raph jumped to his feet and began to walk away.

            “Get lost, Tsu.  I told ya’ already that we’re done.  One time and that’s it; ya’ don’t need ta keep bringing it up either.  In fact, I don’t need ya’ in my face at all.  We’re through.”  Raph waved a dismissive hand at him as he continued to put distance between them.

            “We needn’t be ‘through’ Raphael,” Tsunami called after him.  “Your brothers are finding out their lives don’t have to be as lonely as they once believed.  Nor does yours.”

            Raph spun around, catching Tsunami in an angry glare.  “Are ya’ trying ta say ya’ wanna be a _couple_ Tsu?  Are ya’ fucking kidding me?  What we did last night didn’t mean anything, ya’ got that?  Nothing!”

            “Aren’t you being hypocritical in telling your brothers they can’t be in a relationship considering what is happening with us?” Tsunami asked.

            “There ain’t no us,” Raph snorted his exasperation.  “That’s the difference.  I lost my head and fucked ya’ and that’s the end of it.  It ain’t the same thing as Nobody trying ta fall in love with Leo.  It ain’t the same as Mikey saying he’s doing it with a robot ‘cause the thing loves him and it ain’t the same as Don flying off into the clouds chasing after Raptarr!”  He was breathing hard and his anger started to roll back, gathering momentum.

            “Are you going to pull them all back together with your temper?” Tsunami asked, watching Raph’s mood shift.

            “If that’s what it fucking takes, then yeah,” Raph fumed.

            “Change is inevitable.  Why are you so afraid of this?”  Tsunami watched Raph’s face, reading the shift in facial expression like an expert poker player reads his opponent’s.

            “I ain’t afraid of anything,” Raph asserted, his tone belligerent.

            “Yes you are,” Tsunami said.  “You’re terrified to let your brothers go and you’re just as terrified to let me get close to you.”

            “I let ya’ get close.  Thanks for the great fuck,” Raph said sarcastically.

            “You’re welcome,” Tsunami responded, unfazed.  “Are you afraid to tell your brothers about what happened between us?”

            Raph took a menacing step towards Tsunami, his hands wrapped tightly around his sais.

            “Ya’ say anything ta my bro’s and you’ll be singing soprano for the rest of your short life,” he growled.

            “I thought so,” Tsunami said triumphantly.  He knew he was pushing Raph’s temper, but he had gotten the Turtle to talk and was willing to risk bodily injury rather than letting Raph run off.

            Raph’s eyes narrowed.  “You’re trying real hard ta fix me Tsu.  Why is that?  Ya’ got an itch of your own ya’ can’t scratch?”

            “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Tsunami said.

            “No?  How ‘bout this then – you’re a fucking mutant half breed.  You’re blue all over, and I do mean _all_ over.  So the women do what, Tsu?  Faint when they see ya’?  And not in a good way I’ll bet, ‘cause that’s sorta my area of expertise.”

            Raph smirked as he continued, “Women don’t care for green skinned guys with shells, and they probably don’t care for ones with blue skin and little water wings.  Ya’ figure your only way ta get busy on a regular basis is ta hook up with someone else that ain’t got any options.  Only problem is, I got my bro’s and you’re just shit out of luck.”

            “Now you are simply being insufferable,” Tsunami said, wrinkling his nose in disgust.  “I believe you’re right, you should be left alone.”

            Tsunami flicked a finger against his temple in a good-bye gesture and turned to leave.  Raph darted forward and grabbed his arm roughly, spinning Tsu back around to face him.

            “Where ya’ going?  Ya’ finally got me ta the point where I’m ready ta play,” Raph husked, his voice low and course.

            “I however, am not,” Tsunami said, pushing Raph away.  “You have convinced me that ours was a onetime occurrence.  I will gladly leave you now so that you may wallow in your own self-pity.”

            Raph’s quick movement took him by surprise.  Tsunami suddenly found himself flush against the Turtles body, one arm bent painfully behind his own back.

            “I’ll say when we’re done,” Raph said, the gold in his eyes beginning to gleam dangerously.

            “It’s all about control with you, isn’t it Raphael?” Tsunami leaned into Raph’s plastron to emphasize his words.  “You can’t control your temper, so you try to control everyone around you by using it to lash out at them.  The problem is that it isn’t working.  Your brothers have not been intimidated into doing what you want, and I will not be intimidated into staying here.”

            With a hard push forward, Tsunami knocked Raph off balance and they fell together.  Raph released his grip on Tsunami in order to catch himself, and the water spirit rolled away from him swiftly.

            Raph lunged sideways, not bothering to rise, and caught Tsunami’s ankle, pulling him back and down.  Tsunami landed on his stomach, his hands stretched out to cushion the blow, but before he could move, Raph’s body was on top of his, pressing him into the rooftop.

            “I ain’t trying ta intimidate ya’ Tsu.”  Raph’s hot breath washed across the back of Tsunami’s neck, sending a shiver down the mutant’s spine.  “I’m just offering ta give ya’ what ya’ came here for.”

            “So you can use me as another way to avoid your feelings?  I think not,” Tsu said, twisting his head to the side in an effort to catch a glimpse of Raph’s face.

            “What the shell do ya’ care as long ya’ end up with my cock in your ass,” Raph whispered, biting Tsunami’s shoulder lightly.

            A rush of warmth slid down into Tsunami’s gut as he felt Raphael’s hands ghost over his hips.

            “Do you think you’re going to have it all your own way again, Raphael?” Tsunami asked, bracing his hands against the roof and pushing up, lifting both his body and Raph’s.

            “Yeah, I do,” Raph replied as he curled a leg around one of Tsunami’s and grabbed the mutants arm. 

            Kicking the leg up and out, Raph twisted the caught arm down.  His added weight on Tsunami’s back collapsed the other arm and Raph quickly spun the mutant over as they fell again.  Tsunami found he was now on his back under Raphael, both hands pinned at his sides beneath Raph’s knees.

            In spite of himself, Tsunami was becoming painfully aroused.  He was at a distinct disadvantage; with no shell to hide behind, his erection made it difficult to fight.

            Raph felt it pressing against his tail as he straddled Tsunami and the Turtle chuckled, purposely moving his tail to brush against Tsunami’s penis.

            When Tsunami gasped, Raph’s laugh grew louder and darker.  He leaned down to peer into Tsunami’s deep blue eyes, watching the moonlight move like ocean waves in their depths.

            “Ya’ wanna fight some more, or ya’ gonna let me take this damn body suit off of ya’?” Raph asked smugly.

            “I already told you I do not intend to be your muse tonight,” Tsunami said, trying to pull his hands free.

            “This ain’t art, Tsu.  It’s sex, pure and simple.  Ya’ came around looking for it and ya’ found it.”

            His mouth crushed Tsunami’s, bruising the mutants lips as he drove his tongue deeply into the man’s moist warmth.  A low groan escaped Tsunami’s chest and was answered by a rumbling churr that vibrated both their tongues.

            Breaking the kiss, Raph told him, “Do ya’ think I’m stupid Tsu?  Do ya’ think I don’t know that you’re trying ta play me?  Ya’ ain’t gonna walk away from me and ya’ ain’t gonna deny me and we both fucking know it.”

            Tsunami was breathing hard, watching Raph’s mouth, smelling his sensual body odor and feeling his tail which continued to tease the mutant’s rigid shaft.

            He would succumb to Raph’s passion and his dominance again; the fight was already lost as he felt the Turtle begin to tug at his clothing.  When his hands were set free, all Tsunami could think to do with them was to help Raph rid his body of its confining garment.

            If their relationship was currently defined by Raph’s overwhelming need and irrational fear of losing his brothers, then Tsunami was willing to ride that wave.  He would be there for Raphael; he would be what Raph needed and one day, Raphael would truly discover that someone outside of his own family could care for him.

            And at some point, they would be together near water, and then Tsunami would just see how much Raphael liked to ride his storm.


	54. JF54 Coming To Terms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,507  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: It's time to deal with the fallout of certain decisions.

            It was very dark outside when Donatello woke.  Raptarr was sound asleep next to him, an arm draped across Don’s plastron.  One of Raptarr’s wings was spread over them both, covering them with its downy warmth.

            Don smiled at the ceiling and stretched his legs.  His body retained the delicious memory of their coupling and he breathed in a deep lungful of satisfaction.

            The pleasant memory brought with it thoughts of his family and how he’d run away from them earlier in the evening.  He needed to let them know he was safe; they were probably frantic from worry.

            Easing his way off of the bed so as not to awaken Raptarr, Don found his belt and fished out the shell cell.  Crossing to stand before a large window, Don took a second to look out across the Avian city.  It was quite beautiful and peaceful here, so unlike the dark, dank sewers he and his brothers called home.

            The digital display on his phone showed it was a little after one a.m.  With a sigh, Don tapped the number that would connect him directly to Leo’s phone.

            Leo picked up quickly.  _“Don?”_ he asked, his usually calm voice giving away a hint of anxiety.

            Don closed his eyes, feeling guilty for having caused Leo to worry.  “Yes, Leo.  I’m okay.  I. . .I wanted to call and let you know that I haven’t lost my mind or anything.”  His try for a touch of humor fell flat.  He should leave that type of thing to Mikey.

            _“Are you on Avian?”_ Leo asked, passing over Don’s flippant remark.

            “I am,” Don answered.  “I’m with Raptarr.  He’s all right now, Leo.  I had to be here for him, do you understand?”

            _“No,”_ Leo said, and then amended it.  _“Maybe.  Are you and Raptarr involved, Don?”_

            “We are now.”  Don cleared his throat.  “It’s a long story and I would rather tell it just once; to all three of you.”

            _“Raph and Mikey aren’t here.  Raph. . .he was angry, Donny.  Nobody came in about an hour after you left and they had a fight.  You know how Raph is; we pulled them apart and the hot head took off.  A little while later, Mikey left to go to Justice Force headquarters.  He didn’t tell me he was leaving; he stuck a note on the refrigerator,”_ Leo told him.

            “So you wouldn’t stop him,” Don said.  “Leo, I know how you hate for any of us to be gone; how you worry.  Are you okay?”

            _“I’m fine Don.”_   Leo’s tone was clipped and Don knew he wasn’t being honest.  _“I’d be happier if I knew where Raph was and that he wasn’t trying to tear down half the city.”_

            “This is my fault,” Don said.  “I should have handled it better; I should have explained a little more instead of just leaving the way I did.  When I finally understood what was happening to Raptarr, there just wasn’t enough time.”

            _“Explain it all when you get home, Don.  It’s time for our family to talk without hiding things from one another,”_ Leo said.  _“Without hiding things from ourselves,”_ he added.

            “I’ll be back before first light,” Don promised and hung up.

            Don stayed where he was, looking out over the city.  He needed to talk to his family, but he needed to talk to Raptarr as well.  Their spontaneous act had saved Raptarr’s life, and Don had to admit to himself that it had also filled a void in his own; one he hadn’t completely understood until now.

            But Don still loved his brothers.  Don was still in love _with_ his brothers.  Hearing the worry in Leo’s voice hurt him deeply and the picture of Leo all alone in the lair at this time of night hurt so much worse.

            It was because he knew this was the thing that could kill Leonardo.  For Leo, family was everything and without it, he would be lost.

            Raptarr had awakened at the sound of Don’s voice.  The murmur of his conversation was low enough so that the Avian couldn’t discern the words, but the tone told him Don was talking to Leonardo.

            The tone also reminded Raptarr that his true love wasn’t completely his.

            He watched Don for a few minutes, observing the slope of his shoulders and how his head had fallen.  Instinctively he knew that Donatello was missing his brothers and he wondered, not for the first time that night, just how much of Donatello he would actually ever truly have.

            Sitting up slowly, he said, “Donatello, are you all right?”

            Don took a long, shuddering breath and turned towards Raptarr.  “I am.  I didn’t mean to wake you.  I needed to call home and tell them not to worry.”

            He walked back to the bed and sat down next to Raptarr.

            “You and your brothers need to talk,” Raptarr said.

            “Yes we do,” Don acknowledged.  “I’ll be leaving before the sun rises.  Leo is by himself in the lair; Raph and Mikey took off after I did.  Mikey went to the JF building, probably to be with Nano.  Raphael had a fight with Nobody and disappeared soon after.  Leo hasn’t heard from him.”

            “Why were Raphael and Nobody fighting?” Raptarr asked, although he thought he knew.

            “Leo didn’t say,” Don answered and stared at his hands.

            Raptarr took one of them into his and squeezed it lightly.  “But you think you know, don’t you?”

            Don glanced into his lover’s eyes.  Angel blue, he thought of them.

            “I think Nobody is in love with Leo, and I think Leo has feelings for him as well,” Don said.

            “You left to come and save me, and then Nobody shows up at the lair.  For all Raphael knew, Nobody had come to take Leonardo away.  It wouldn’t sit well with him,” Raptarr said.

            Don grimaced.  “No, it wouldn’t.  Especially if he had some reminder about Mikey and Nano.  Raph can’t stand the idea of losing us Raptarr.  He’s done crazy things in his life in order to protect us and keep us together.  Raph doesn’t want to be alone and I’m afraid of what he might do if he thinks that the four of us won’t be together anymore.”

            He couldn’t help but think about all the times he’d assured Raph that the brothers would always be together.

            “I have seen the way Nobody looks at Leonardo,” Raptarr said.  “Times when he isn’t wearing his mask.  The look on his face is a duplicate of how mine feels when I look at you.”

            Don leaned against his lover’s shoulder and moved his thumb over the back of Raptarr’s hand.

            “Leo tried to cover up what was happening between the two of them, even when I asked him point blank.  I think he’s fighting his feelings because of his sense of obligation to his family.”

            “If the two of them do decide to be together, how will that affect you?” Raptarr asked.

            Don thought about it for a moment, then answered as honestly as he could.  “I don’t know how I feel about that.  I think I feel jealous and possessive.  How much sense does that make?”

            “It’s because you love your brother as more than a brother, isn’t it?” Raptarr wanted to know.

            Don looked at him and saw the fear in his eyes.  He dipped his head closer to Raptarr’s and said, “I do.  I want to be completely honest with you.  Maybe I should have said it before we made love so you could decide if this is something you want to deal with.”

            Raptarr managed a small smile.  “Donatello, I have loved you for a very long time.  I think I loved you from the very first time we met.  I would rather have part of you than to have none of you.”

            Don was startled.  “What are you saying?”

            Raptarr turned towards Don and placed a hand behind his neck, pulling him close.  “Whatever terms we need to live on, I can handle them.  I want to be a part of your life, Donatello, but I don’t have to be all of it.”

            The soft kiss they shared soon grew more bold.  Don pushed Raptarr onto his back, mindful of his wings, and began to kiss along his jawline and neck.

            Raptarr’s eyes closed in ecstasy as Don’s hands stroked his wings and then Don whispered huskily into his ear, “I’m going to take you, Raptarr.  Just relax; I’ll prep you well and I’ll be very gentle.”

            “I know you will,” Raptarr managed before Don’s mouth covered his own.

            As he felt Don’s hands move over and into him, Raptarr knew he meant what he’d said to his Turtle lover.

            He could live a long and happy life just by being even a small part of Don’s.  He could share Don’s time and love and be very content by doing so.

            Raptarr hoped desperately that Donatello’s brothers would be willing to do the same.


	55. JF55 Remember When

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 3,832  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Memories can be elusive things, but robots have ways of holding on to them.  
> ~~If you haven't read prior episodes, or need a refresher, please see Episode 3 - it will explain some of the references in this fic

            Mikey sat next to Ananda on the thick mat that was one of the very few items of furniture in Nano’s room.  It was either sit there or on the floor, and that didn’t seem a polite thing to offer a lady.

            The orange banded Turtle flushed just a little as they seated themselves.  This was only the second time Mikey had ever been on the mat; the first was after a very hot sexual romp with Nano.

            Fortunately, Ananda didn’t notice his slight discomfiture.  She was too involved in her conversation with Nano.

            “Are the memories whole this time, or are they fragmented like the last bunch we recovered?” she asked the nanobot.

            Nano was kneeling on the floor in front of the pair.  “They are fragments, but some of them are quite large.  I believe that what I have recovered are similar to pieces of a puzzle; I must examine each and place it properly to achieve the larger picture.”

            “That’s pretty poetic, Nano,” Mikey said, smiling at his friend.

            “I am learning to use analogies.  Was this correct?” Nano asked.

            Ananda giggled.  “It was very nice, Nano.  It helped me understand exactly what you are working with.”

            “Maybe if you tell us what you remember, we can help put the pieces together,” Mikey offered.

            Nano smiled.  “That would make me most happy.”

            Bit by bit, Nano began to explain each fragment of memory.  As best they could, both Mikey and Ana jumped in when they recognized fragments that could be connected to each other.  It really was sort of like putting together a puzzle; a big mental puzzle.

            At some point Ana started to yawn.  She tried to hide it at first, but it wasn’t long before she was too sleepy to bother.

            Finally she made as if to stand, and Mikey leaped to his feet to help her.

            “I would love to keep working at this, but I’m just too darn tired guys.  I can’t really even think straight anymore,” she admitted.

            “You should go to bed Ananda.  Biological life forms require rest in order to repair and replenish themselves,” Nano said.

            With a laugh Ana said, “You are absolutely right, Nano.  I’m going to get some sleep.”

            Turning to Mikey, she said, “I guess you’ll have to take the launch again, Mikey.  I’m afraid I couldn’t pilot it right now.”

            “That’s okay.  I think I might just stay, if that’s all right with Nano.”  He looked over at the nanobot expectantly.

            “I would be most pleased, Michelangelo.  If you become tired, you may use this bed.  I am sure it has some function although I cannot recall why it is here.  I do not require sleep, therefore I have no use for a bed,” Nano said.

            Mikey could feel his cheeks burning.  “I, uh, I’m sure you’ll remember Nano.”

            Ana was watching the Turtle intently and she suddenly smiled.  “Mikey’s right.  I’m sure the meaning of this bed will come back to you soon enough, Nano.”

            “Your words are most encouraging,” Nano told her.

            Ananda’s eyes were still on Mikey, a mischievous twinkle in them.  “I’ll bet Mikey would be happy to help you remember, even if he has to stay up all night to do so.”

            “There are many new memory fragments I have not as yet explored.  Assistance would be greatly appreciated,” Nano told them.

            Giggling, Ananda decided to let up on the embarrassed Turtle.  Reaching over, she patted the back of his hand and said, “I can take you back home in the morning if you’d like.”

            Mikey grinned.  “That would be great.  Thanks Ana, for everything.”

            He caught her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, relishing the softness of her skin before she slowly pulled it from his grasp.

            “Goodnight,” she called to Mikey and Nano as she left the room.

            Nano watched his friend’s interactions carefully, observing how Mikey had held onto Ana’s hand and how his eyes now followed her from the room.  The nanobot collective settled its hectic movements for a moment into a form Nano had labeled ‘contentment’.

            Seeing Mikey and Ana together was beginning to make Nano quite happy.

            After Ananda was gone, Mikey sat back down on the mat and resumed listening to Nano’s mental playback.  Somewhere along in there, he fell asleep.

***********************

            Despite having gotten to bed so late, Ananda was up before the sun.  Sometime between changing for bed and actually crawling into it Ana had decided she was going to fix breakfast for Michelangelo.  She told herself it was because she wanted to be a good hostess, but a part of her wanted to show him she was also a good cook.

            Certain she would have the kitchen to herself, Ananda was surprised to find Chrysalis seated at the large table.  The lights were all off and Chrys’ head was down on her arms; a mug of coffee on the table in front of her.

            Ana crossed over quietly and touched a finger to the mug.  It was cold.

            “Chrys,” Ana said softly.  “Maybe you should go back to bed.”

            Chrysalis lifted her head slowly and blinked a few times.  The circles under her eyes were heavy from either lack of sleep or crying; possibly both.

            Ana pulled back a chair and sat down opposite her friend.  “Chrys, honey, what’s wrong?”

            “I really screwed up Ana,” Chrysalis answered in a choked voice.  “I almost did something horrible to Raptarr.  Damn, I _would_ have done something unspeakable if Donatello hadn’t stopped me.”

            “You saw Don?” Ana asked.

            Chrys nodded and her head went down so she could study her hands.  “Last night on Avian.”

            “Why were you there?” Ana asked gently.  Silver Sentry had said something about Raptarr being ill but hadn’t elaborated on why Chrys had gone up there.

            “I wanted Raptarr,” Chrys sobbed.  “I’ve wanted him for ages Ana, but he couldn’t see me.  He only has eyes for Donatello.”  Looking quickly at the other women, she said, “I’m so sorry Ana.  I should have found a better way to say that.  I know how much you like Don.”

            Ana smiled and touched her arm.  “Michelangelo is here.  He told me about Don’s leaving to go back up to the Avian city and he told me he thought it was because Don might be in love with Raptarr.”

            “I think he is too,” Chrys told her.  “I was trying to force Raptarr to love me by  blackmailing him.  How could I have sunk so low?” she cried pitifully.

            “Love makes people do strange things Chrys.  Tell me what happened.”

            The entire story poured out of Chrysalis; every bit of it starting when Raptarr had returned from his month on Avian up until last night.  She even admitted how she had tried to manipulate Ana’s affection for Don into something larger in order to make Don unavailable to Raptarr.

            They were silent for a time; then Ana asked, “Would you have gone through with it, Chrys?  I mean, would you have gone to bed with Raptarr, knowing that he would be bound to you for life?”

            Chrys was shaking as she answered, “I think I would have.  That’s what has me so messed up.  I never thought of myself as someone who could lose control like that.  It would have been so cruel and evil and I didn’t seem to care.”

            “It must be hard to want something so much and have it be just out of reach,” Ana observed.

            “I think I’m still in love with him,” Chrys admitted.  “Maybe I always will be.”

            Ana took a deep breath and caught one of Chrys’ hands in hers.  “Wanting to love and be loved isn’t wrong Chrys.  You just went about it the wrong way.  I truly believe that there is someone for each of us; you simply haven’t met that someone yet.  Raptarr will forgive you; you know how beautiful his character is.  Maybe you should take some time away from fighting evil and find yourself.”

            Chrys gave her friend a shy yet hopeful glance.  “I think you might be right.  It would save Raptarr and me a lot of embarrassment if I disappear for a while.”

            “But not too long, okay Chrys?  I don’t want to be the only woman stuck in a house full of men,” Ananda said with a laugh.

            Chrys managed a small laugh as well.  “Some woman would think that pretty great,” she said.  “Ana, are you sure you’re not upset about Don?”

            Ananda shook her head.  “I’m not,” she answered.  “Mine was just a little crush; I haven’t actually spent much time with Don, at least not enough to know if I could have really come to care for him.”

            She released Chrys’ hand and stood up from the table.  “I’ve got to make breakfast.  Mikey spent the night in Nano’s room and I don’t want him to leave here hungry.  He’s been such a good sport about everything.  I really admire him Chrys.  I think I’ve spent more time with him in the last couple of days than I have with Don the entire time I’ve known him.  I can tell you this much; Mikey is the most resilient person I’ve ever met.”

            Chrys lifted an eyebrow and asked, “He spent the night?  Did Nano get his memory back?”

            Moving from the refrigerator to the stove, Ana replied, “Not yet, but things are coming to him slowly.  It’s difficult with memory fragments.  The best way to describe what Nano has is to compare it to a dream; when you wake up you remember little pieces of it but rarely enough of them to recall the entire thing, and certainly not in any kind of order.”

            “Mikey looks a lot like his brother,” Chrys observed, her face growing curious as she watched Ana cook.

            “Yeah, I guess so,” Ana said.  “Hmm, I never thought about it before because their coloring is different and Mikey’s a little taller.  Plus he has those incredible blue eyes where Donatello’s are just brown.  Hey, do you want me to fix a plate for you?”

            Chrys shook her head.  “No thanks, I don’t think I could keep it down.  I’m going to try to sleep a little; talking to you really helped Ana. Thank you.”

            “Girls should stick together, Chrys.  Sleep well,” Ana called, waving a spatula in Chrys’ direction.

            She didn’t notice Chrysalis’ intense scrutiny or the flicker of a smile that touched her face as she contemplated her friend and colleague.  Just before she left the kitchen, Chrys had the thought, _“Out with Don and in with . . . Mikey?”_

***********************

            Mikey woke slowly and with a touch of disorientation before remembering that he was at the Justice Force building.  The morning chill of Nano’s sterile room was blocked by the large blanket that was draped over his body.

            Sighing in comfortable contentment, Mikey finally opened his eyes and looked around.  Kneeling on the floor next to him was Nano, in the exact same position he’d been in when Mikey fell asleep.

            Mikey smiled sleepily at Nano and the nanobot smiled back.

            “Were you watching me sleep, Nano?” Mikey asked without changing his position.

            “Yes.”  Nano was as straightforward as always.  “I did stop observing you to retrieve a blanket in order to cover you, but otherwise I having been studying you as you slept.”

            “That must have been boring,” Mikey said with a grin.

            “On the contrary, it was most stimulating.  You move around quite a lot when you are sleeping.  I do not recall ever having watched anyone sleep, but somehow my collective finds your movements to be familiar.  Perhaps that explains the bed in my room; have you slept with me before Michelangelo?”

            Mikey shifted under the blanket and reminded himself that Nano didn’t mean the question quite the way Mikey initially took it.  Nano still had no recollection of any of their previous interactions beyond some small and innocent memory fragments.

            Deciding to be honest but not to elaborate, Mikey said, “Yeah.   I think you got this mat for me because I stayed late some nights and didn’t have a place to sleep.”

            Before Nano could ask any more questions there was a knock at the door and Nano rose to open it.  Mikey sat up and was folding the blanket neatly when Ananda came in, pushing a small cart before her.

            “What is this?” Nano asked curiously.

            Ana smiled and lifted the tops off of several large dishes.  The smell of food brought Mikey quickly to his feet.

            “Hot da . . . um, wow!” Mikey amended his exclamation, hungrily eyeing the plentiful assortment of breakfast items Ana had brought.  “What’s the occasion?”

            “I thought it would be nice to celebrate something since this last week has been such an emotional roller coaster for all of us.  So this is a little party for Nano.  I know you don’t eat Nano, but we can give you a festive atmosphere with our breakfast and you can pick up where you left off last night on your memories,” Ana told them as she handed a plate to Mikey.

            “I am most delighted with this celebration,” Nano said and smiled as he watched Mikey pile food onto his plate.  A flash of memory caught him unawares and he froze for a moment, attempting to make sense of it.  It had something to do with Mikey and warmth – no, it was _heat_ – and something that Nano had discovered he could consume.

            Nano could make no sense of the fragment and determined to discuss it with Michelangelo later.

            Sitting cross legged on the floor, Mikey began sampling his food and when Ana sat next to him he said, “This is awesome, Ana!  Way better than my cooking, and I’m the best cook in the lair.”

            “Thank you.  I don’t get to cook for anyone very often and I hoped you’d enjoy it,” Ana responded, a tiny blush on her cheeks.

            Nano observed their exchange with concentrated intensity.  He was thrilled with the celebration Ana had arranged for him and was becoming more and more pleased with the way Mikey and Ananda were behaving with each other.

            Perhaps there was a way for Nano to have a family after all; he decided he would have to work on that.

            “I’m going to have to go home in a little while Nano.  My brothers don’t like it when I’m out during the day.  So like, what are you going to do with yourself?” Mikey asked.

            “I am sorry you will have to leave.”  Nano’s collective squeezed together with a tight hum, and Nano labeled the response as ‘sad’.  “I believe I will begin reviewing the large selection of movies I have accumulated.  I remember collecting each with the specific purpose of learning about human behavior; but I do not recall all of the films.  It will be educational.”

            Mikey’s eyes fell on a small stack in one corner and then widened.  It was the collection Nano had purchased from the clearance bin in an adult video store.

            Setting his plate aside, Mikey scrambled over to the bondage and smut movies with alacrity.  He sure as shell didn’t want Ananda to see them and he didn’t want Nano to view them either; not without his intact memory.

            Tucking them against his plastron, Mikey glanced over at Nano’s questioning face and Ana’s startled one.

            “These . . . um, these are um, a little _advanced_ for you right now Nano.  I’m gonna tuck them away in your television cabinet and I don’t want you to touch them, okay?”  Mikey tried to hide his embarrassment behind movement, sliding over to the large cabinet that housed Nano’s movie collection.

            Ananda finally caught on and began to giggle behind her hand, her cheeks a lovely shade of pink.  Mikey grinned at her sheepishly before pulling open a cabinet door and attempting to thrust the stack of films into the deepest possible recess.

            However, they would not go all the way inside and Mikey bent down to peer into the darkness, trying to find the obstruction.  Reaching a hand inside, he encountered something smooth, rounded and cool.

            He was pretty familiar with everything Nano owned and this object wasn’t on that list.  It fit into the palm of his hand perfectly and he pulled it out.

            It was a small, sealed glass jar which appeared to contain some type of clear gel.

            “Nano, what’s this?” Mikey held the jar up, his expression puzzled.

            Both Nano and Ananda came over and inspected the jar.  “I do not know.  I do not have a memory of that jar.  Since I am the only one who comes into this room, I must conclude that I am the one who placed it in the cabinet.  I do not remember why I would have done so.”

            Ana reached for the jar.  “May I?” she asked.

            Mikey handed it to her and she lifted it up towards the overhead lights, turning it slightly.

            “There’s something else in here,” she said, with just a touch of excitement in her voice.

            Mikey came to stand next to her and squinted into the jar.  “I don’t see anything.”

            “There’s a tiny trail in the gel; you can just see it if you tilt the jar.”  Ana handed it to him and Mikey did as she suggested.

            “I see it,” Mikey said.  “Nano, your eyes are better than ours, what is this?”  He handed the jar to Nano.

            Nano stared at it a moment.  “It appears to be a nanobot,” he said quietly.

            Mikey and Ananda exchanged glances as they processed the discovery.

            “Why would you have put one of your nanobots into a jar and covered it with gel?” Mikey asked.

            “I can think of several reasons,” Nano answered.  “Perhaps it was infected by Baxter Stockman during the time he changed one of my other nanobots.  I believe I would have destroyed it, but since I cannot remember, it is possible I would have retained a second faulty one for some unknown reason.”

            “I doubt you would have done that without telling one of us,” Ananda commented.

            “That is true; therefore scenario number one is highly unlikely.  Another of my suggestions is that it contains some malfunction that I wished to study.  However, if that were the case, I would also have shared the information,” Nano said.

            “What else?” Mikey asked.

            Nano spoke slowly; feeling a change in his collective which he could only label ‘ _hope’_.  “It is highly probable that I stored a nanobot which contains all of my memories.  I remember that when Nobody telephoned to ask that I help search for Donatello he mentioned that your brother was in a burning building.  It would have been logical for me to play out a scenario wherein I would have suffered enough injury to cause memory loss.  Copying all of my memories into a single nanobot would have been a prudent thing for me to do.”

            Mikey had a moment of stunned silence while he processed what Nano had just said.  A nanobot with all of Nano’s memories.  A nanobot with _all_ of Nano’s memories!

            “Oh, oh Shell!  Dude!  Get it out of there and let’s find out now!” Mikey was practically jumping in his excitement.

            “Not so fast,” Ana said.  “Since Nano doesn’t know for sure what this nanobot contains I’d like to at least check that it’s viable and not infected in any way.  I won’t be able to tell what’s on it, but I can make sure it doesn’t damage you Nano.”

            “So if it looks okay, can he take it into the collective?” Mikey asked.

            “I suppose that’s the only way to know for sure what’s in here.  We should take a few precautions though, like having Nano reenter the stasis unit before inserting this nanobot,” Ananda told them.

            Ananda’s eyes were sparkling at the prospect of the new adventure and the thought of helping to reignite Mikey’s romance with Nano.  She was a romantic at heart and after listening to Chrys’ tale of woe, Ananda was ready for something to end well.

            “You are very beautiful Ananda,” Nano said suddenly.  “Don’t you agree, Michelangelo?”

            The question caught Mikey off guard, but since he made it a habit to answer Nano as truthfully as possible, he said, “Yes I do.  I think you’re a beautiful person inside as well Ana.”

            Ananda could feel herself blushing at the twin compliments.  “Thank you guys.  I should hang around you two more often; you’re great for my self-esteem.  Come on, let’s go to the lab and find out what we have in this jar.”

            Just before they reached the lab Mikey stopped and told them, “Go ahead and get started.  I really need to phone by bro’s and let them know I won’t be home until later.  If everything goes right, maybe not ‘til _way_ later.” 

            Waggling his eye ridges suggestively at Ananda, Mikey darted off around a corner.

            “This won’t take but a few minutes to check, Nano.  Why don’t you go ahead and get in the stasis unit?” Ananda said as they entered the lab.

            She moved over to her control console, setting the jar on the desk as she prepared to extricate the tiny nanobot from the protective gel.  A touch on her arm turned her and she found herself face to face with Nano.

            Ana had never been so close to Nano before; she could actually feel the buzz of the millions of tiny nanobots holding together their chosen form.  It was surprisingly warm and electric.

            “Thank you Ananda,” Nano said and leaned forward to kiss her cheek softly.  “You are my very special friend.”

            The kiss surprised Ana and she reflexively reached up to touch her cheek.  “I consider you to be a special friend as well, Nano,” she replied with a small tremor.

            “While I am waiting I will think about how to provide you with family,” Nano said with determination.

            Slightly confused, Ana told him, “I have a father.”

            Nano caught her hand in his and placed his other hand on top.  “That is not the kind of family to which I was referring,” he said.

            Lifting her hand to his mouth, he pressed a kiss to her fingers and then turned to enter the stasis unit.

            Ana stood completely still, her thoughts churning.  If Nano were a man, she would have known he was expressing a romantic interest in her; but this was _Nano_.

            That’s when she remembered that Mikey and Nano were involved in a relationship, so it was apparent that the nanobot was quite capable of making love to someone.

            The thought made her warm and tingly all over.  It was exactly how she felt when Mikey touched her.

            Catching sight of her own reflection in the dark computer monitor on her desk, Ana realized that her dome was glowing.


	56. JF56 Echoes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 607  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Leo chooses to make a sacrifice for Raphael.

            Echoes.

            Echoes of his father reminding him that his first responsibility was to ensure that his family always remain safe and whole.

            Echoes of a pledge that swept aside all outsiders; a vow to cleave unto themselves.

            Echoes of the promises of love made to brothers.  Echoes of their passion.

            Echoes in his head, in the silence of the dojo, in the quiet of the lair.

            Empty save for he and his father.

            His father, who had retreated into his own room in an attempt to find some peace in the disharmony of his children’s lives; and in their sensei’s life.

            Alone as Leo was, he had no choice but to listen to the echoes.

            _“Forgive me Master Splinter,”_ the man who was more than Nobody had asked of Leo’s father.

            _“It is we who should beg forgiveness.  A friend should not fear our home or our hospitality,”_   Master Splinter had said.

            _“A guest shouldn’t be so disrespectful as to argue with a member of the house,”_ Nobody had replied.

            _“Nor should he apologize for attempting to serve honesty.  My son Raphael has not learned to temper his reactions.  It is my failing as much as his,”_ Master Splinter had told him.

            The echo of his sensei’s cane as it carried the old rat across the lair and into his bedroom, leaving Leonardo alone with Nobody.

            Leo’s words, harsh at the edges, bouncing off of the dojo’s walls.  _“Why did you do that?  It was my duty to inform my family of our involvement.”_

            _“And mine to stand beside you,”_ Nobody had said.  _“I couldn’t watch you be abused or made to feel guilty for wanting something for yourself.”_

            _“You need to understand that my obligation to my family must be considered above all else, Nobody.  My position is unique; I am their leader.  My every action must be thought out and measured against what is best for this clan.  You  cannot become involved in that,”_ Leo had tried to explain to him.

            _“When we chose to walk this path together, did you think I wouldn’t fight for you?  After all I went through to finally get to the point of admitting to myself how much I want and need you, did you think I wouldn’t do everything in my power to hold on to you?”_ Nobody had asked forcefully.

            There was still an echo in the dojo of Leo’s heartbeat as it pounded against his chest.

            _“It wasn’t necessary for you to cause Raphael pain.  I told you I love my brothers; what they need to say to me to assuage their suffering is my duty to bear.”_   The words had sounded flat as Leo said them, their echo offering nothing to the dark vigilante.

 _“I didn’t intend to inflict any pain on your brother, but I will not lie to him or anyone else about my feelings for you.  What happened here tonight is why you and I have been unable to decide where our relationship will go.  Whenever we reach a point where we seem to have a mutual agreement, your commitment to your brothers interferes.  I don’t want to do anything further if you can’t let Raphael find his own path,”_ Nobody had said.

            The echo of that ultimatum swung like a pendulum.

            Leo had replayed in his mind Raph’s words, the tone of his voice, the look in his eyes.  Nobody was a man whose life was built around being alone and who could survive that way.  Raphael could not.

            _“I will not abandon my brother for anyone,”_ Leo had answered.

            The echo of Nobody’s footsteps as he left the lair.


	57. JF57 Wild Card

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 780  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Tsunami learns something about Raphael that scares him.

            Tsunami sat up and looked over at Raphael.

            The Turtle was sitting on the rooftop ledge staring out across the city.  Deja-vu; this was exactly how Tsunami had found Raph seated several hours ago, just before the blue mutant had interrupted what he thought was a personal pity party.

            Now he wondered if the red banded Turtle might be playing an even deeper game than Tsunami would have ever given him credit for.

            Raph heard Tsunami move but didn’t turn his head to look at him.  Bad enough they had dozed in each other’s arms for over an hour, but then when Raph had decided to get up he’d taken care not to wake Tsunami.  Instead, Raph had shifted the mutant into a more comfortable position on the hard concrete, even folding Tsu’s bodysuit and placing it under his head.

            What Raph should have done was fuck and fly.  Why the shell he didn’t was a mystery.  He’d asked Tsunami if there was something wrong with the drinking water at the JF building; now Raph wondered if the problem was actually in the drinking water at the lair.

            Raph had meant it when he’d told Tsunami to get lost after their first coupling in the sewers.  The Turtle had needed an outlet for his pain and Tsu was offering; so what the fuck, right?  No harm; no foul.  It didn’t mean a damn thing.

            Now he’d been with Tsunami twice, and the shit kicker was that both times Raph had initiated contact.  Too bad Don wasn’t available; he’d make his brother draw some blood and check to see if Raph had been drugged.

            But Don wasn’t available.  Mikey wasn’t available.  It was beginning to look like Leo wasn’t gonna be available and that was the snake in the rabbit hole.  His brothers had all made a vow and now they were dead set on breaking it so they could run off with some random dicks.

            Not if Raph could fucking help it.  He didn’t give his love easily; but when he did, he held on tight.  His brothers were _his,_ plain and simple, and like he’d told that piece of shit Nobody, this sure as shell wasn’t over.

            One person Raph knew better than anybody else did was his brother Leo.  Leo could push Raph’s buttons; and Raph knew how to push Leo’s.

            Tsunami’s voice broke into his reverie.

            “You’re staying out here in order to make your brother Leonardo miserable, aren’t you?”

            Raph’s head jerked around as his eyes narrowed.  Fucking mutant.

            “What the shell are ya’ talking about?” Raph demanded.

            “Don’t be coy with me.  You didn’t come up here to work out how to bring your family together, you already have a plan,” Tsunami said as he began to pull his bodysuit back on.

            “Get bent Tsu,” Raph responded harshly.

            “I think I just did,” Tsunami retorted.

            “Ya’ got a high opinion of yourself, don’t ya’?” Raph commented, refusing to be drawn.

            “Of course I do,” Tsunami said.  “I know myself well.  I’m beginning to know you, too.  While I thoroughly enjoyed our romp, don’t think I haven’t realized you changed the subject when I asked how you thought you were going to pull your brothers back together.  It wasn’t because you didn’t know, it was because you do.”

            “Add a crystal ball and ya’ could go on the road with that show,” Raph told him.

            “I’m right, aren’t I?” Tsunami asked.

            “This ain’t none of your business, Tsunami.  Butt out,” Raph growled, rising to his feet.

            The dark shutter had come down over Raph’s face and Tsunami got up as well.

            “If you don’t want to go home, at least come back to the Justice Force building with me.  There are extra rooms and you’d be safe,” Tsunami offered.

            “I don’t wanna be safe.  I thought ya’ said ya’ knew me,” Raph said, a dangerous undertone to his voice.

            “Raphael,” Tsunami stopped to clear his throat.  “Raphael, you needn’t place yourself in harm’s way to get the love and attention you want from your brothers.  You’re only going to succeed in hurting them and yourself as well.”

            The look of intense pain that crossed Raph’s face was quickly erased as the Turtle whispered, “If I ain’t got my brothers, it doesn’t really matter what happens ta me.”

            Before Tsunami could stop him, Raph was gone.  Without water to make a slide, Tsunami could only watch helplessly as Raph leaped from roof to roof, quickly disappearing into what was left of the night.

            He didn’t know exactly where the Turtle was going; he really only knew one thing for sure.

            Raphael was not going home.


	58. JF58 No Illusions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,549  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Insight into the mind of Nobody.

            There had been a time, just after his wife had left him, in which Nobody had thought about losing his pain in a bottle.

            It wasn’t the fact that she was physically gone.  Mentally, neither had been married for quite a while.  What she took with her was the last of his youthful illusions.

            He had been a young eager cadet when they’d met.  His promises of rising through the ranks, becoming captain someday, maybe chief of detectives or even police chief lit his eyes on fire.  His fire radiated outward and engulfed her as well.  They dreamed together.

            Earning his detective shield was one of his proudest accomplishments.  His wife was his rock; she kept their home, planted roots to stabilize him, nurtured him and followed him.

            It was her nature to adopt a subordinate role to his dominate one.  She thrived as he grew; her only desire was to walk in his steady and sure footsteps.

            Then came Ruffington, and the debacle that had left Nobody’s career in shambles.  It was a painful lesson for him to learn.  His personal ideology had never admitted that power and money could circumvent justice.

            It left Nobody trying to find himself in a world where there was nothing left to believe in.  Set adrift by the one thing he’d always counted on, he floated through life in a fog of pain and confusion.

            His wife was set adrift as well.  The solid, dependable man she had married couldn’t bolster her subservience.  Decisions were hard for him to make because he had begun to question everything, even his own rationality.

            The quiet, somewhat shy woman he had married began to have to make decisions for them, and she was not comfortable in that role.  She did not want to be the caretaker in a relationship.

            He couldn’t say exactly when they had stopped communicating.  Maybe it was so gradual that he didn’t notice, or maybe he was so self-involved in his own personal collapse that he ceased to pay attention.  Drifting away from her just seemed a natural occurrence.

            Perhaps if he weren’t so obtuse he would have noticed the change in her.  Maybe if he weren’t so listless he could have made the effort to hang on to her.  Maybe if he weren’t so befuddled by what had happened to his career he would have been able to think of a way to fix his life.

            Too late for maybes or regrets when the house was empty and cold one evening when he walked through the front door.  He didn’t need the lights to know her things were gone.  He knew what her note said without opening it; had in fact left it sealed for a week before finally finding the strength to peel away the flap on the envelope and let her cursive seal his fate.

            Nobody wallowed after that.  He felt old and bereft.  Without a purpose, life didn’t seem to mean much of anything.

            Languishing in an administrative job, his talents wasted, his future bleak, Nobody found himself eyeing a bottle of scotch one night and wondering what it would be like to deaden the pain for a few hours.

            He never drank the first glass he poured.  Something deep inside of him suddenly rebelled against the loss of his most vivid dreams.  It was then he vowed to get up from the sucker punch life had hit him with and fight back.

            Joe Policeman became Nobody that night.  That’s what the city wanted after all; his chief had relegated him to that position and Ruffington had paid to make it happen.  It had become time for him to prove that a Nobody could make a difference.

            Setting about to right the wrongs done to him and to prove that Ruffington was an evil and dishonest man had caused his path to cross with that of the Turtles.  With Leonardo.

            Nobody had felt an instant bond with the blue banded clan leader.  In Leo’s eyes he could see the fire that had once been in his own.

            Ruffington had been taken down by Nobody with the help of his new Turtle allies.  On another night, when he found he could not simply work alone, he had called Michelangelo and asked for assistance.  There was no one else he would have turned to, his trust in the band of four brothers was complete.

            After that working with Leo had become a habit.  Nobody liked to continue to think of himself as a loner and a rebel; a dark vigilante who relied on no one and kept his own counsel.

            He knew he was fooling himself the first time he had really looked into Leo’s amber eyes.  They clarified for Nobody everything that he once was, and the remembered nobility of those old feelings surged up to resurrect his soul.

            Leo had given that spark of life back to him.  Leo had helped Nobody see that his life wasn’t pointless or meaningless and never had to be as long as he didn’t accept that fate.

            Falling in love with Leonardo had been the easiest and the hardest thing Nobody had ever done.

            Nobody knew damn well that when Leo began to show him the feelings might be returned it was because the Turtle thought of the vigilante as an equal.  Leo was already shouldering a heavy burden; he would never need another subordinate.

            Nor did he want a superior.  His life had room for one Master and that was his father.  Leonardo had made the choice to be a leader when he was very young and his drive and determination had carried him into that role.

            But Nobody was taking on a role as well, one that he had grown accustomed to from years of marriage.  He didn’t consciously realize he was doing that, although hadn’t his discussion about age been a precursor to his actions?

            As their interactions began to blossom into more than friendship, Nobody had slipped into the old harness with practiced ease.  He was the elder, the more experienced with life.  It was his responsibility to take charge of the direction their relationship travelled in.

            He forgot that Leonardo was not the same type of personality as the woman he had chosen to marry.  Leo was capable of sustaining himself and he was most definitely not the kind to follow someone else’s lead.

            Immersed in his old habit, Nobody forgot that type of partnership was doomed to failure by its very nature.  Losing a wife should have made him more keenly aware of the fallacy of trying to be in control of everything.

            Leonardo had already made clear to him that the pace of their relationship had to be mutually agreed upon.  Leo’s responsibilities to his family had never been a secret between them, and when Nobody had expressed a return interest in the Turtle, the one secret the Turtle did have was shared with Nobody.

            Was it the acknowledged incest that had driven Nobody to become possessive?  Trying to become part of Leo’s life before that revelation was difficult enough; there was nothing whatsoever normal about the ninja’s existence.

            Until Leo had outright announced that he and his brothers were lovers, Nobody was content to let their discovery of each other flow naturally.  He was dealing with their age difference by reminding himself that maturity had nothing to do with numbers.

            Something inside of him had pulled tight when he learned Leonardo’s secret.  The incest itself, surprisingly enough, didn’t bother him.  What Nobody had difficulty with was the hold Leo’s brothers had on him.

            Nobody was not content to be Leo’s partner; he wanted to be the one directing Leo’s life.

            The miscalculation was grave.  He should have understood Leo better after all the time they spent together.  Nobody should have known his love well enough to never interfere in the Turtle’s family.

            He should have trusted what they had between them enough to separate it from Leo’s home life.  Nobody could have been happy with that arrangement.

            Instead he had decided Leo needed to be rescued like some damsel in distress and had rushed into the center of a family controversy to blurt a secret to Raphael that he had no business revealing.

            Given who he was, Leo had no other option than to call Nobody out on what he’d done.  For his part, Nobody was blind to the warning signs and tread deeper into dangerous waters by throwing down the gauntlet with his ultimatum.

            In the split second before he opened his mouth to do so, all he could feel was overwhelming jealousy of the red banded Turtle and the place Raphael had next to Leonardo.

            What came out sounded to Nobody’s ears exactly as it must have sounded to Leo’s.  That Nobody wanted to own him, body and soul, to the exclusion of everyone else.  That Nobody wanted Leo to forsake his sworn duty, his family and the strength of his love for them to be with a man who could actually offer him very little.

            Of course Leo had turned him away.  In his place, Nobody would have done the same.

            That understanding didn’t relieve Nobody’s pain as he walked away from the lair for the last time.


	59. JF59 Sacrifice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,950  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: It is Donatello's place in the family to fix things. Some of those broken things are more delicate than others.

            After a small bit of wrangling, Raptarr finally talked Donatello into letting him fly the turtle back to his lair.

            Don told him that the tech pack had brought him to Avian and could take him back home.  Raptarr’s argument was logical; he had to fly down to Justice Force headquarters and let Silver Sentry know he was alive and well.  Since he was going to make the trip anyway, he could carry Don and save the tech pack’s energy.

            He didn’t add that they could snuggle a little more on the return flight, but Don figured that part out by himself.

            Raptarr also said he wanted to check on Chrysalis.

            “Do you think that’s wise?” Don asked.

            “I think she was just confused, but not actually dangerous, Don.  I want her to know I harbor her no ill will,” Raptarr said as he pulled on his clothes.  “I have to work with her; we’re part of the same team.  This has to be made right between us so we can move on.”

            “She was stalking you, Raptarr.  She implemented a plan that would have had you bound to her for life,” Don reminded him.

            “I believe she regrets her actions deeply.  Chrys acted out of desperation and that’s something I can understand completely,” Raptarr said, staring longingly at his lover.

            The look sent such a delicious shiver down Don’s spine that it stimulated other regions of his body as well.  With an effort, Don pulled his eyes away from those angel blue orbs and finished tying his mask in place.

            “Just promise me that you’ll speak to her when there are others in the building,” Don said.  “That way there’s less chance of her making a scene.”

            “Taking care of me even when we’re apart?” Raptarr asked with a chuckle.

            “Something like that.”  Don grinned as he added, “I didn’t think I’d actually _like_ having someone else to worry about.”

            Raptarr crossed to where the turtle stood and wrapped his arms around Don’s waist.  His expression turned serious as he lowered his forehead to Don’s.

            “It might be a while before I see you again, mightn’t it?” he asked.

            Don placed his palms flat against Raptarr’s chest and answered, “I’m afraid so.  Trying to explain our relationship to my brothers is going to be tricky.  I’m not so worried about Mikey; he seems happy with the concept of our having outside interests as long as the four of us remain – linked.”

            He lifted his eyes to see if Raptarr understood the implication.  Raptarr smiled.

            “I already told you I can accept whatever arrangement you can work out with them, as long as I’m a part of it.  Don’t worry that I might be upset or jealous if they remain your lovers, Don.  As long as I have all of you when we are together, I’m not all that concerned about what occurs when we’re apart,” Raptarr explained.

            Don tilted his head back so he could stare into Raptarr’s eyes.  “I’m very lucky to have you,” he whispered.

            “I am the lucky one,” Raptarr whispered back and leaned down to touch Don’s lips with his own.

            The chaste kiss began to turn into something more rather quickly as both opened their mouths simultaneously and let their tongues meet.

            When Raptarr’s hands began to play over Don’s hips, the turtle pulled back and cleared his throat.

            “We have to go.  I promised Leo I’d be home before first light,” Don said.

            Raptarr nodded his head regretfully.  He had things to do as well.

            It was a little before five a.m. when Don arrived at the lair.  He’d convinced Raptarr it wouldn’t be a good plan for the Avian to accompany him all the way home in case Raphael was awake.  Don didn’t want a repeat of the Nobody incident.

            Stepping quietly into the lair, Don noticed light coming from the dojo and knew that Leo was awake.  When he looked inside and saw Leo’s face, he also knew that Leo hadn’t been to bed at all.

            Leo stood in the center of the dojo weaving intricate patterns in the air with his katana.  Candlelight flickered off the steel and bounced up into tiny flashes of light that Leo seemed to be trying to cut before they faded.

            Don waited for Leo to complete his battle against the light, enjoying the eldest brothers polished movements.  Finally, the blue banded turtle turned and acknowledged his presence.

            “Donatello,” Leo said softly.

            “Hey Leo,” Don responded as he moved further inside the practice area.  “Everyone else still asleep?”

            Leo slid his katana back into its sheath.  “Actually, you’re the first one to come home.”

            Don took a minute to process that.  He knew Leo had been left alone for part of the night; he didn’t know that it had been for the entire night.

            “I’m sorry Leo,” Don said, feeling instantly miserable.

            Leo shook his head.  “No, don’t be.  At least you called.”

            Don’s eyes fell on the fresh wrap around Leo’s thigh.  “Your leg.  You shouldn’t be straining it so much,” he fussed as he closed the distance between them.

            With a small smile, Leo watched as Don knelt to check the dressing.  “My sword was the only thing moving, Don.  I don’t want to tear this set of stitches out either.”

            “I’m certainly glad to hear you’ve become more circumspect, though I’d feel better if you’d come sit down.”  Don offered his shoulder for Leo to lean on, but Leo ignored it in favor of his borrowed cane.

            Don felt the snub to his core, but said nothing.  He’d been home the previous day long enough to understand what his brothers had gone through when he’d been missing.  Flying off and leaving them after just a few hours had been rather callous.

            Leo led the way into the TV room and took a seat in one of the side chairs.  He would have been more comfortable on the couch where he could have rested his leg.  Sitting on the chair was another clear message to Don that Leo wanted space.

            Frowning slightly, Don sank onto the couch.    Leo’s behavior was a bad sign; it could potentially mean Leo was shutting down, isolating himself from his emotions.

            When they had first begun to be intimate with one another, Leo had been the lone hold-out.  His fear echoed that of Master Splinter’s; worry about what the change in relationship might mean for them.  Worry that they would not function effectively as a team if one of them cared more for one brother than the others.

            Leo’s added concern that as the leader, he couldn’t afford to engage his feelings on that new level.  It had taken the combined efforts of them all to turn him into lover as well as brother.

            Some of that initial reserve was still dwelling inside Leo’s mind and this new situation had stirred it to life.  Leo was obviously re-examining his decisions and Don needed to put a stop to it quickly, before Leo sealed himself off completely.

            “You haven’t heard from Mike or Raph?” Don asked.

            “No,” Leo answered, adding nothing.

            Don could see the closed look taking over his brother’s features almost as clearly as if actual shutters were there.

            “You’ve tried calling,” Don said, not as a question.  He knew Leo had tried.

            “Yes,” Leo said, staring straight ahead.  “Mikey’s phone is off.”  He chuckled humorlessly.  “He won’t turn it off during practice, but to avoid me he remembers every time.  Raphael just won’t pick up.”

            Leo didn’t add how many times he’d tried Raph’s shell cell during the night and Don didn’t need for him to; he could fill that blank in for himself.

            “Leo, what happened?” Don asked.

            Leo shifted almost imperceptibly.  “Raph was upset when you left.  Mike and I tried to talk to him; to help him understand that what was happening didn’t affect what the four of us share.  He wouldn’t listen; he wanted to know about my relationship with Nobody.  He . . . he wanted to know what was going on between us.”

            Leo stopped talking and went still.  Don waited a few minutes, but Leo seemed lost in some memory, so Don prompted him.

            “What did you say?”

            Leo’s eyes darted towards Don and then away again.  “I didn’t get a chance to say anything.  Nobody came in just then.  Apparently he’d been listening and decided to take part in our conversation.”

            Don understood.  “Nobody answered the question didn’t he?”

            Leo’s nod was terse.  His mouth stretched into a grim line as he said, “He told Raph that he was in love with me.”

            Don didn’t need the blanks filled in; he could easily imagine what had happened next.  That must have been the fight Leo had mentioned during their phone conversation.

            “Raph told Nobody this wasn’t over before storming out of the lair,” Leo continued.  “But it is.  It is over.”

            It took a minute for Don to understand.  For Raph, the fight with Nobody wasn’t over.  For Leo it was, because he was pushing Nobody away.

            So now Leo was shutting down.  The story explained a lot of things to Donatello.  Leo was in the process of walling off his emotions and Don couldn’t allow that to happen.

            Rising from the couch, Don fell to his knees next to Leo and placed a hand on his brother’s leg.  Leo barely glanced at him.

            “Don’t say that,” Don said forcefully.  “Don’t give up, Leo.  I think I know how you feel about Nobody.”

            “That’s not my focus, Don.  What has happened between Nobody and I is hurting Raph.  My brothers are my first priority.  If even one of you is hurt by my actions then I have failed as your leader.”

            “And what does that leave you with?  How do you think Raph will feel when he realizes you’ve subjugated your life for him?  I don’t like how it makes me feel; Raph will hate himself.  I’d rather lose Raptarr than have you shut yourself away like this.”

            Leo’s head jerked around, his eyes blazing amber fire.  “No!” he hissed and grabbed Don’s shoulder hard enough to make the genius wince.  “You won’t do that.  If you want to give me something Donny, you’ll let me see you be happy.  I need to know I’ve done something right.”

            Don could feel tears creeping up behind his eyes.  “You’ve done everything right bro’.  You taught us how to be a team, so let me help you work on this, okay?  Together we can figure out a way to make Raph happy and give you a chance for some happiness of your own.”

            Leo’s hand left Don’s shoulder.

            “What has to be done I’ll do.”  Leo’s voice was flat, the tone he used when he’d brook no argument.  For him, the discussion was closed.

            Don put his cheek on Leo’s thigh, trying to offer some comfort through his touch.  Leo’s leg felt cold beneath Don’s warm skin, as though the deep freeze Leo was putting his heart into was chilling his entire body as well.

            Don hadn’t gotten the chance to tell Leo how he felt about Raptarr; he hadn’t needed to.  Leo seemed to know.  What he didn’t know was that the two lovers had worked out how they would handle Donatello’s situation with his brothers.

            Maybe Leo didn’t want Don’s help, but he was going to get it anyway.  Because no matter what Leo said; or how hard he tried to lock his feelings away, Don understood how Nobody’s love was affecting their clan leader.

            He also knew that Leonardo was just as in love with Nobody.


	60. JF60 Hello Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 3,393  
> Rated: NC-17 Mature  
> Summary: Nano has been lost, but his greatest dreams come true when he finds himself. Having Michelangelo there to greet him makes it so much better.

            When Mikey punched in Leonardo’s shell cell number it was Donatello who picked up.

            “Hey bro’ you’re back!” Mikey exclaimed.

            “Yes but you aren’t,” Don said a little crossly.  “I just now talked Leo into lying down, but I doubt he’ll sleep.  I took his phone just in case you or Raph called so I could chew you out.”

            “Whoa,” Mikey said.  “Raphie’s not home yet?”

            “Neither are you,” Don pointed out for a second time.

            “Yeah, but I have a seriously good reason,” Mikey explained.  “I was helping Nano with his memory and I fell asleep.  Okay, I know that’s not a good reason, except that I was really tired from all the stress lately.”

            Don palmed his face and said, “Get to the point, Michelangelo.”

            “Oh, oh yeah.  So anyway, this morning Ananda made breakfast for me and it wouldn’t have been polite to just leave, you know?”

            “Mikey . . . .” Don began.

            “Keep your shell on,” Mikey told him.  “So look, we found a jar with a nanobot stored in it.  Just one nanobot.  It was hidden on a shelf in Nano’s room.”

            Don’s keen mind was processing Mikey’s words as he spoke.  A solitary nanobot hidden in Nano’s room could really only mean one thing.

            Don interrupted Mikey.  “Did Nano download a copy of his memory Mikey?”

            Mikey’s excitement was palpable, even over the phone.  “I think so, I really, really do.  Ananda’s running tests on it right now to make sure it’s, um, some word with a v . . . .”

            “Viable?” Don asked.

            “Yep, that’s it dude.  Viable.  When she’s done Nano’s gonna slide that bad boy in and see what happens.  I’m not leaving here Donny, not unless you tell me the lair’s caving in.”

            Don closed his eyes.   He understood _exactly_ how Mikey felt.

            “It’s okay, Mikey.  Stay there, I’ll let Leo know what’s happened.  Just keep your cell phone on okay?” Don asked.

            “No problem, dude.  I’ll phone later,” Mikey promised and hung up.

            As he made his way back to the lab, Mikey thought about what Don had told him.  Raph wasn’t home yet.  That was a really bad thing, especially since it seemed he hadn’t been in touch by phone either.

            Mikey hoped that didn’t mean Raph had gone out looking for trouble after his fight with Nobody and had managed to get into some.  However, knowing Raph, Mikey felt pretty confident that the hot head was staying away from the lair on purpose.

            Raph knew the best way to hurt Leo was to disappear from home for a while.  Mikey flushed, feeling guilty.  He’d stayed away from home too, not purposely, but still – being gone all night and into the next day was probably causing his big bro’ a fair amount of grief.

            Stepping into the lab, Mikey decided he’d figure out a way to make it up to Leo.  Right now though, seeing if Nano could be made whole again was the first order of business.

            Ananda was standing at her computer station scrolling through what looked to Mikey like a bunch of random symbols and letters stuck together.  He knew it meant something to her; after all, he lived with a genius and had seen that kind of thing before.

            “What’s the verdict?” he asked as he approached her.

            Ananda glanced at him and smiled.  “Everything looks good, Mikey.  I think we can go ahead and let Nano re-absorb this nanobot into the collective.”

            Mikey practically skipped over to the stasis tube, followed at a more sedate pace by Ananda.

            As she placed the nanobot in the vacuum chamber, Mikey asked Nano, “Are you ready?”

            “Of course, Michelangelo.  But you must promise me that if this nanobot should attempt to take over my collective you will freeze me.  I do not wish to cause damage or injury.”

            Mikey looked at Ananda.  “Freeze?” he asked.

            “The red button on the control panel.  It shoots concentrated liquid nitrogen into the stasis unit at a high rate of speed.  It will freeze the nanobot collective within seconds without actually doing any damage to Nano,” she told him.

            “Oh.”  Mikey turned his attention back to Nano.  “I’ll do it Nano.  Pretty sure I’m not gonna have to, though.”

            “I am made most secure by your confidence ‘Turtle Titan’,” Nano said with a hint of a smile.

            The little door on the vacuum chamber opened on Nano’s side of the tube and Nano lifted a hand to touch and absorb the new nanobot.

            Nano’s hand instantly fell to his side and his body went still, his face becoming expressionless.

            Mikey watched nervously and nearly jumped when Ananda moved next to him.

            “What’s happening?” Mikey asked.

            In a low voice Ananda replied, “Whatever is on that nanobot is being written to the rest of the collective.  We’ll know in a minute exactly what information it contains.”

            Mikey’s hand flexed as it rested on the glass tube and Ananda covered it with hers, giving Mikey a reassuring smile.

            The minutes ticked by and time seemed to stretch as they waited.  A glance at the clock told Mikey only three minutes had passed, but it seemed an eternity.

            Then Nano blinked and the nanobots that comprised his form all lifted into a shapeless cloud before settling back into the Nano that Mikey had known before the warehouse fire had damaged him.

            “Mikey!  Mikey!” Nano shouted from behind the glass wall, his face curving into a huge smile.

            “Nano!  Open. . . open this thing!”  Mikey started pushing buttons frantically until Ananda tapped him with her hip so he would move aside.  She manipulated the controls quickly, and the door sprang open.

            Nano swarmed out of the stasis unit and covered Mikey in an embrace that was all-encompassing and passionate.

            Glancing at Ananda, Nano asked, “Am I allowed to display my feelings here, Mikey?”

            Mikey was laughing.   “Yeah, dude.  No more secrets.”

            “That is excellent,” Nano said and eagerly began to ravish Mikey’s mouth.

            Ananda watched in astonishment as the pair clung to each other in near desperation, their mouths open and pressed tightly together.  A tingle moved down her spine; the sight was much more erotic than she could have ever imagined.

            Remembering that they had an audience, Mikey pulled back and told Nano, “Oh man, I seriously thought I was never gonna see you again.  I mean, I was seeing you, just not the you I wanted to see.”

            Nano’s grin was firmly in place.  “I have missed your heat as well Mikey, although I did not understand until now what it was that was absent in my life.”

            With a mischievous smile Mikey said, “I don’t have to be home anytime soon.  You wanna go get warmed up?”

            “That is a most pleasurable suggestion,” Nano answered.

            Still holding his arms around Nano, Mikey looked over at Ana as she said, “I’ll let Silver Sentry know about Nano’s condition.  Everyone will be so happy.”

            She was looking at them shyly, a smile on her face and a light shading of pink on her cheeks.

            “We must properly thank Ananda for all of her assistance,” Nano announced suddenly.

            His arm shot out and elongated; circling Ananda’s shoulders as he pulled her towards them.  Ana had no choice but to move her feet or be swept off of them.

            Not really sure what Nano had in mind, Mikey put one of his arms around Ananda’s waist and gave her a quick hug.

            “Thanks for everything Ana,” Mikey said warmly.

            “Gosh, you’re welcome Mikey,” she responded, feeling rather flushed with his hand on the small of her back.

            Nano looked from one to the other.  “I believe a more appropriate gesture would be for you to offer her a kiss,” Nano suggested.

            “Nano . . . .” Mikey began.

            “Her assistance was invaluable.  I have studied this concept extensively, Michelangelo.  A kiss is the more grateful reaction for her efforts,” Nano insisted.

            Mikey looked at the blushing Ananda and shrugged.  “Humor him?”

            Ana said, “Sure.”

            Mikey leaned in to touch her cheek with his mouth and Nano deftly caught the back of his head, turning it and pushing Mikey’s mouth against Ana’s.

            Ana gasped and started to pull back in surprise, but Nano caught her head as well and held her firmly in place.

            The kiss was very chaste; just the touching of lips, but Ananda felt like she was on fire.  Her arms suddenly ached to wind their way around Mikey’s muscular neck, and she had to concentrate to keep them tight against her sides.

            Never having kissed a woman, Mikey was amazed and gratified to feel how soft and warm Ana’s lips were.  Mikey had to shove down the churr that threatened to embarrass him.

            Mikey finally pushed against Nano’s hand and made the nanobot release his grip.

            Ana was clearly flustered as she took a step back, but Nano still wore a huge smile.

            Mikey cleared his throat.  “Nano!  Why’d you do that?”

            “Ananda must feel closer to our family,” Nano offered in explanation.

            “I’m sorry, I don’t understand,” Ananda said with a slight frown.

            Mikey thought he was beginning to.  Hastily grabbing Nano’s arm, he began to pull his fully recovered boyfriend from the lab. 

            “Um, we’ll sort it out later, ‘kay?  Right now I need some alone time with Nano,” Mikey said.

            Ana watched them leave.  Her heart was racing and she felt like she couldn’t catch her breath.  That kiss was doing the strangest, most confusing things to her insides and all she knew for sure was that she wanted to kiss Michelangelo again.

            Mikey’s mouth was still quivering from his kiss with Ana.  He and Nano had linked arms when they left the lab and Mikey asked, “Nano, why did you . . .?”

            He didn’t get any further with his question as Nano unexpectedly swept down and picked him up, tossing Mikey across his shoulder.

            “I cannot wait any longer Mikey,” Nano chirped as he began to run through the halls of the Justice Force building.

            “Nano!” Mikey called, his body bouncing as Nano ran.

            The possessive treatment and rough handling was having a definite effect on Mikey as the Turtle felt a growing excitement in his lower regions.  Mikey completely forgot about the mystery of the forced kiss as he began to anticipate what other surprises Nano might have in store for him.

            Nano slammed the door to his bedroom shut after he darted inside with Mikey.  Racing to the bed, Nano dropped Mikey carapace down and leaped on top of him.

            “My collective is hungry for your heat Michelangelo,” Nano said.  “I need you.”

            “O . . .okay,” was all Mikey managed as he felt thousands of tiny nanobots begin to crawl over his body.

            Nano pressed his mouth to Mikey’s and inserted his tongue past Mikey’s lips.  Mikey churred, pushing his tongue against and into Nano’s.  The collective shifted to taste the orange banded Turtle’s mouth.

            Mikey tried to bring his arms up around his boyfriend, but two extra appendages shot out of Nano’s shoulders and pushed Mikey’s hands onto the mat on either side of Mikey’s head.

            Unable to speak, Mikey shifted his hips as he felt an invading swarm of nanobots pool into the slit hiding his cock.  The force quickly covered his now stimulated organ and began squeezing him to full erection, riding his shaft as it expanded and dropped down.

            Nano used his legs to spread Mikey’s apart and then his nanobot body reformed its lower half to include a large penis.  With unerring aim, Nano’s cock found Mikey’s entrance and Nano began to push into the Turtle’s body.

            As the collective entered him, Mikey groaned into Nano’s mouth.  The swarm of nanobots slid into Mikey a little at a time, until a sufficient number of them had entered Mikey’s snug anal cavity.  Once the Turtle was entirely filled the nanobots solidified and expanded.

            Nano purposely directed a force large enough to completely fill his lover, intent on stretching him to his limit and thus creating a unique sensory experience.

            Mikey was definitely feeling every nuance of Nano’s actions.  Eyes wide open, Mikey tilted his head back, escaping Nano’s mouth in order to gasp.

            At the loss of Mikey’s mouth, Nano moved the myriad of nanobots that comprised his tongue to his lover’s throat.  The sea green of Mikey’s skin was imprinted on Nano’s collective; visually stimulating the collective as no other color could.

            Nano began to thrust into Mikey’s ass and simultaneously constrict around Mikey’s cock as he pumped the rigid green shaft.

            “Missed . . .this~s,” Mikey moaned just before a deep churr escaped his chest. 

            He felt Nano’s fingers stroke the sensitive skin along his sides and Nano’s tongue lick along his collar bone; a particularly erogenous spot for Mikey.

            “Oh shell, Nano!” Mikey groaned, trying once more to lift his arms.  Unable to move out of Nano’s strong grip, Mikey settled for draping his legs around Nano’s body.

            Mikey’s hips lifted to meet each of Nano’s thrusts, grunting as the cock that totally stretched his ass drove into his prostate again and again.

            Twitching uncontrollably, Mikey felt his legs go rigid and his thigh muscles contract.  He was barely able to draw a breath; bright lights popped across his vision and his entire being slowly centered on a growing, intense pressure at the base of his cock.

            Nano felt the changes in Mikey’s body as well.  The coating of nanobots on Mikey’s dick moved a bit faster, small waves of nanobots rolled up and down the shaft and tightened as Mikey’s cock expanded.

            Stretching so he could see into Mikey’s blue eyes, Nano said, “I love you Mikey.”

            “Nnn . . .aagh. . .N~ano!” Mikey shouted through the orgasm that blinded him.

            The expulsion of ejaculate froze Nano as the collective fed off  Mikey’s release.  His memories and emotions fully restored, Nano gloried in his lover’s liquefied heat, consuming it greedily.

            Chest heaving, Mikey worked to suck air into overexerted lungs.  His hands were still pinned and Nano remained inside of him while miniscule nanobots delicately tickled Mikey’s sensitive organ, completely cleaning it.

            Nano slowly released Mikey’s trapped hands and removed the nanobots from the Turtles body.  His pelvis flattened again and the extra limbs he’d used to hold Mikey down retracted.

            Before Nano could shift off of his lover, Mikey raised a hand and pulled Nano’s head down.  Mikey pressed his mouth against Nano’s for a deeply satisfying kiss.

            When Nano lifted and rolled onto the bed, Mikey rolled with him so he could lay on his side facing Nano.

            “Wow, I guess that means you remember everything,” Mikey said with a grin.

            “Indeed.  I have also retained all of the memories acquired since my accident.  It is interesting to examine my various interactions during that time,” Nano agreed.

            Mikey’s brow furrowed slightly.  “Speaking of which, what are you trying to do with Ananda?  Why did you push us into a kiss?”

            “Ananda is like us, Mikey.  She is different and she is alone.  Ananda needs family,” Nano told him.

            “Okay, she is different,” Mikey agreed.  “But she has a dad and she has friends.”

            “Ananda needs special friends,” Nano insisted stubbornly.  “Ananda needs a boyfriend.”

            Mikey watched Nano carefully and saw what he would call an obstinate look on his lover’s face.  Although quite proud of the level of emotion Nano was mastering, Mikey was a little taken aback by his newfound obsession with directing Ana’s life.

            “I’m already taken, Nano,” Mikey reminded him.  “By you.”

            Nano shifted onto his side so he could look fully into Mikey’s eyes.  “But you also have your brothers.  You share your heat with them, do you not?”

            Mikey tried to think back.  Had he and Nano ever really discussed this?  He was pretty sure not; the closest they had come was when Master Splinter and Silver Sentry had busted them in the parking garage.

            Master Splinter had mentioned the promise that he and his brothers had made to one another, but not the nature of that promise.

            “What do you mean?” Mikey asked, careful to make sure his question gave nothing away.

            Nano’s hand was on Mikey’s hip and gradually moved to stroke the green skin he had come to need so much.  The Turtle’s warmth had become a necessary part of his existence.

            “Leonardo, Donatello and Raphael are your brothers, but they are also intimate family,” Nano answered.  “I deduced this from your interactions with them.  I have been observing you for a long time Turtle Titan.”

            “Oh.”  Mikey’s brain was racing.  “So, you don’t mind that I share my, um heat?” he asked.

            Nano frowned but his hand continued to stroke along Mikey’s side, where the skin connected with plastron.

            “In my study of human television programming, it seems that the concept is not accepted in many cultures.  It is not a thought process I fully understand.  Perhaps it is the emotional response that I cannot grasp, but to my collective sharing is extremely logical,” Nano said.

            Mikey swallowed.  “L . . .logical?” he stuttered.

            Nano nodded.  “Of course.  As long as no one partner is overly demanding, the needs of all parties can be satisfactorily fulfilled.  My love and need for you is not lessened by your love and need for your brothers.  If your other relationship does not damage ours, why would I protest your desire to share?”

            Mikey stared at Nano as his lover’s hand moved to caress his plastron.  Nano’s gentle languid attentions were beginning to stoke the heat the nanobot enjoyed so much, and even though Mikey knew he should either go home or at least phone, he wasn’t going to be doing either in the foreseeable future.

            The question of Nano’s intent as far as Ananda went was forgotten again as Nano moved close enough to play his tongue across Mikey’s throat.  Mikey’s churr was loud in the near empty space that was Nano’s room.  Mikey decided he would have to work on helping Nano personalize the bedroom; especially since Mikey would probably be spending a lot of time in it.

*****************

            In the hall outside Nano’s room, Ananda leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes tightly.  She hadn’t meant to eavesdrop on Nano and Mikey’s lovemaking, it just seemed her feet had decided to carry her to Nano’s door.

            She could hear the low murmur of their voices after they had fully consummated their coupling, but no clear words came through.  Ana was pretty sure, however, that she had heard her own name.

            Ana desperately wished she knew what they were saying.  She had for one second considered knocking and had even gotten the courage to raise her knuckles to the door.

            Then that sound Mikey made came through the closed door and Ana jerked her hand away.  She’d figured out rather quickly that sound was unique to the Turtle and that he seemed to make it when he was aroused.

            Thinking of an aroused Michelangelo made Ana want to slam the back of her head into the wall.  Her body was having the strangest reaction to that thought, and the sound Mikey was making seemed to light a fire in her womanhood.

            She needed to find a way to resolve the dilemma she was in.  Right at this moment she could sort of understand what Chrys had gone through.

            Ana forced herself to walk away from Nano’s room.  Chrys was a woman of emotion and had let her passion consume her; Ana was a scientist and capable of detached clinical thought processes.

            When the opportunity presented itself, she would sit down with Mikey, or with Mikey and Nano, and talk to them about her feelings.  She would probably blush and stammer, but she wasn’t going to live for an indefinite amount of time trying to sort things out on her own.  Scientists needed data before they could solve things and she would go to the source to get hers.

            Making that decision took a heavy weight off of Ananda’s shoulders.  Knowing exactly what her next step was going to be allowed her mind to focus on other things.

            One of which was what to do right now about the clenching need between her legs.


	61. JF61 Leap Of Faith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 2,711  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Donatello and Tsunami reach an understanding of sorts.

            Mikey was going to be away from the lair for the rest of the day.  Don didn’t need to be a mind reader to know that.  He was just happy to know where his little brother was and that he was safe.

            Don stared at Leo’s shell cell after his conversation with Mikey had concluded.  If he attempted to call Raphael would his hardheaded brother pick up?

            The answer to that was probably no.  Leo had tried several times during the night and had gotten nothing for his trouble.  The last time he’d called Raph, the phone had been turned off.

            That left Don to contemplate Leo.  His leader was undoubtedly lying in bed staring up at the ceiling instead of attempting to sleep as Don had instructed.

            To outsiders, Leonardo was an enigma; quiet, shadowy and unyielding.  He was none of those things to Donatello.  Don had seen Leo wrestle with the deepest of emotions; doubt and self-loathing, worry about his abilities, anxiety over decisions, and fear.

            Raphael felt it necessary to christen Leo with the title of ‘Fearless’ for many complicated reasons.  But Raph knew quite well that his blue banded brother wasn’t without fear.  So did they all.  Leo had one deep, abiding fear that could at times turn him into a driven, relentless taskmaster.

            Leo was deathly afraid of losing one of his brothers.

            Using that fear against Leo was unconscionable, but Raphael was a ninja and he liked to win.  He also liked to try to force Leo into doing things the way Raph wanted them done.  If Raph felt as though he were losing his brothers to other people, he wouldn’t hesitate to use the dirtiest fighting methods available to him.

            Just because Don was in a satisfying relationship with Raptarr didn’t mean his love for his brothers had changed one iota.  Raphael was being obstinate and unyielding and Leo was paying for it.  Don was not going to put up with that.

            His ruminations were interrupted by the sound of the hidden entry door being opened.  Since he knew it couldn’t be Michelangelo, Don turned and readied himself to confront Raphael.  He would decide on tactics after he discerned what type of mood Raph was in.

            Taking a deep breath, Don braced himself as the door pushed inward.

            However,  the figure who stepped into the lair wasn’t emerald green.  It was light blue.

            “Tsunami?” Don burst out, completely surprised.

            “I am sorry for my intrusion,” Tsunami said, “but I’ve come to ask a favor of you.”

            Don blinked, trying to shift the gears in his head to take in this newest turn of events.

            “Are you looking for Raphael?  Because if you’ve come here to find him you’re out of luck.  He’s disappeared,” Don informed Tsunami, a hint of bitterness creeping into his voice.

            “I rather feared as much.  I am hoping you will help me to track him down,” Tsunami said.

            Years of practice at keeping a straight face was the only thing that kept Don from showing his astonishment.

            “Why do you want to find my brother?”  Don didn’t tell him how badly he and Leo would like to know Raph’s whereabouts.

            Tsunami gave Don a searching look and decided to lay some of his cards on the table.  “I spent some time with Raphael last evening.  I am concerned that he may have chosen to do something . . . rash.  He is slightly overwrought by certain situations here at his home.”

            Guilt made Donatello lower his eyes and Tsunami interpreted the look.

            “I’m sorry for my bluntness,” Tsunami apologized.  “Time is of the essence I’m afraid and I must skip the normal social amenities.  I tried to follow Raphael after he left me, but since I was without a water slide, he quickly outdistanced me.”

            Don looked up again.  “I don’t have any way to trace him.  I do have a global positioning device installed in our shell cells, but Raph turned his off several hours ago.”

            “I thought he might do something of the sort, so as a precaution I took the liberty of slipping a Justice Force tracking beacon into his belt.  I can give you the signal frequency and you should be able to locate Raphael,” Tsunami explained.

            Don took a moment to wonder at Tsunami’s motivations, but the desire to find his brother overwhelmed his curiosity.

            “Come into my lab, we’ll access the signal from my computer,” Don said, leading the way.

            Donatello’s lab was not as fastidious as the Turtle himself seemed to be.  Tsunami carefully made his way past tables filled with partially restored equipment and electronics, shelves covered in salvaged junk, and work benches containing ongoing experiments.

            Several old desks holding four computers and a lap top were shoved against a far wall.  Don sat in a padded leather chair and rolled himself in front of the computer array.

            “Give me the frequency,” Don said, now all business.

            Tsunami told him the code and watched as Donatello’s nimble fingers moved over the keyboard.  He was struck by how similar in appearance the Turtle brothers all were; just a difference in coloring and height separated them.

            The thing that seemed to set them the most apart from each other was the difference in personality.  Raphael just seemed so much more _alive_ than his brothers, even when compared to the effervescent Michelangelo.

            At least that was how it appeared to Tsunami.  Perhaps that was what attracted the blue mutant to Raph in the first place.  His first time meeting the Turtles had been in the Justice Force great hall, surrounded by other members of the JF, current and retired.

            Even in that crowd Raphael had stood out.  His inner fire was like a beacon to Tsunami, drawing him like a moth to flame.  Raphael was driven by his passions; his body spoke of this in its musculature, giving away the fact that Raph spent time sculpting himself to perfection.

            Raphael’s sullen and aloof manner did little to hide the blazing light behind his eyes.  The first time Tsunami looked into them he was lost.  Completely and utterly lost.  Drowning in the golden depths of Raphael’s eyes, Tsunami chose to sink rather than reach out and save himself.

            Now Tsunami found himself fighting to remain in those golden waters even as Raphael fought to push him out.

            “I’ve got him,” Don said, breaking into Tsunami’s reverie.

            Tsunami moved to stand behind Don and stared at the map displayed on the computer’s screen.

            “Is that Coney Island?” Tsunami asked.

            Don nodded.  “He sometimes goes there when he doesn’t want to be here.  It feels safe to him for some reason.  He’s probably curled up under the boardwalk listening to people go about their business.  Raph seems to find that soothing.”  Don shifted in his chair to look up over his shoulder at Tsunami.

            “Normal and mundane.  I believe I can relate to that need,” Tsunami said softly.

            Don was watching the mutant’s face carefully.  “Broad daylight isn’t a good time to go after him.”

            Tsunami turned his attention from the computer to Don.  “I know,” Tsunami said.  “I don’t want to drive him out at this time of the day.  It isn’t as though either of us is nondescript.”

            The ninja continued to eye Tsunami; the look on his face indicating he was deep in thought.  Normally impervious to stares, Tsunami found Don’s look disconcerting; almost as if the Turtle was burrowing into his skull.

            “May I ask you a question?” Don asked.

            “Of course,” Tsunami said with some relief.  Anything to distract Don from his perusal.  How did any of the brothers manage to keep secrets from their resident genius?

            “Why so much concern for Raphael?  I happen to know he treats you with disdain and is outright hostile on occasion.  How did you happen to be with him last night?  How did you get close enough to put a tracking device in his belt?”  Don paused to give Tsunami time to answer although he had a lot of other questions.

            “Perhaps you should have inquired if you could ask several questions.  It would have been more structurally accurate,” Tsunami protested mildly.  “Let me see; however it is that he treats me I have grown to have a certain amount of admiration for your brother.  I heard about his fight with Nobody from the source, who also told me that Raphael had run off.”

            When he stopped, Don waited.  Since nothing more was forthcoming, Don prompted him.  “You haven’t told me how you managed to slip that device into his belt without getting your head knocked off.”

            Tsunami grinned.  “Those are skills left over from my days as a pickpocket,” he answered somewhat facetiously.

            Don turned his chair completely so that he could see Tsunami from a better angle.

            “Tsunami, do you have feelings for my brother?” Don asked directly.

            “The last Justice Force member who answered a question of this nature from one of you Turtles nearly ended up in the hospital,” Tsunami reminded him mildly.

            “I’m not Raphael,” Don said.

            “No, you are not.”  Tsunami took a moment to contemplate Donatello.

            “He knows, doesn’t he?” Don asked.

            “I don’t care to have this conversation,” Tsunami said mildly.

            “Maybe not, but I’m going to pry anyway.  He’s my brother and I love him.  Right now Raph is hurt and he’s hurting us in self-defense.  Leo is up in his room worried to death about that hot head.  He’s had no sleep and I don’t know what this stress is going to do to him,” Don said.

            Tsunami lifted an eyebrow.  “I’m sorry, Donatello.  As much as I like Leonardo, he is not my concern at the moment.  My focus is entirely upon Raphael.  You are correct; he is suffering and has settled on a plan to remedy his pain.  I don’t exactly know what that plan is, but I’m afraid it does not bode well for his safety.”

            Don studied him again.  Tsunami was beginning to feel like something under one of Donatello’s microscopes.

            “You could have tracked that device on your own at the Justice Force building.  Why did you come here for my help?” Don asked finally.

            “Because at JF I would have had to explain too many things to Silver Sentry.  The business between Raphael and Nobody is their own.  If Nobody wants SS to know about it, he can say something himself.  As for my wanting to track down Raphael. . . let us just say I’ve become attached enough that I’d rather not see him come to harm,” Tsunami answered.

            “What will you do if Raphael can’t return that level of attachment?” Don wanted to know.

            “I understand your concern, Donatello.  I am not a stalker,” Tsunami told him.

            “That doesn’t really answer my question,” Don pointed out.

            “No?”  Tsunami smiled in his usual cocky manner.  “Do you suppose Raphael will stay put until night falls?  I think I’m going to try to catch a couple of hours of sleep before I venture out to rescue him from himself.”

            “You’re determined to appoint yourself that job I see,” Don said.  He knew Tsunami had purposely skirted his most pointed questions and found his curiosity even more piqued.

            “Alas, it seems that is my destiny,” Tsunami replied, walking towards the door.

            Don got up quickly and Tsunami turned at the sudden movement.

            “My brother Raphael is not a plaything, Tsunami,” Don said, his voice dipping dangerously.

            Tsunami went completely still.  He had never seen Donatello quite so formidable and suddenly wondered how many others had underestimated the seemingly mild-mannered genius.

            Becoming serious, Tsunami said, “I am not playing games, Donatello.  Trust me when I tell you that I am focused entirely on Raphael’s well-being.  I simply cannot say more than that because it is not my place to do so.”

            “Then perhaps you’ll agree with me that it would be better if I go and find Raphael this evening.  Part of the anxiety he’s feeling is my fault and can only be remedied by me,” Don said, his posture rigid and unyielding.

            Tsunami closed his eyes for a moment as he composed himself.  Donatello’s eyes were very difficult to meet; Tsunami felt as though they were boring holes into his head.

            “Donatello, your brother isn’t angry with me,” Tsunami reminded him.  “What he wants most is to manipulate you and your brothers into giving up your outside relationships.  He will not let go of that idea, or be open to anything whatsoever, as long as he holds on to that single minded purpose.  Have you a definitive plan for bringing him home knowing what you will face if you go after him?”

            Don hesitated.  He hadn’t thought about what he’d say to Raph other than to tell him his outbursts were dividing the family.  Don was pretty sure that would be counter-productive.

            “No,” he finally said aloud, admitting Tsunami’s point.  “I normally don’t have any problem getting through to Raph, but I’m afraid I’m too emotionally invested in my relationship with Raptarr.  And right now I am honestly more worried about what is happening to Leo.”

            “Please allow me to try and reach out to Raphael,” Tsunami begged.  “He may not be overly fond of me, but he is not deaf to me either.  I . . . _care_ enough about Raphael to risk almost anything to help him.”

            The admission was more than Tsunami had wanted to make, but he could tell from Donatello’s protective attitude that the truth would be the only thing that would help the purple banded Turtle understand.

            Don was beginning to understand quite a lot.  He had told Raptarr once that if Tsunami was interested in Raph he should give up on the idea, as Raph was much too devoted to his brothers to be open to anything else.

            Now he wondered if that was accurate.  Raph could be stubborn; in fact, Don thought he might possibly define the word stubborn.

            However, Raph was also a creature of the heart and having someone who willingly and consistently reached out to him no matter how difficult he became might be the one thing that could get through to him.

            “All right.”  Don nodded once.  “I’ll give you this chance to help make things right with Raphael.  But understand this Tsunami; it needs to be right for all of us.  Giving my brother a momentary distraction isn’t a permanent solution, nor does he need to form an attachment with someone who might  be unwilling to make the kind of strong commitment Raph requires.”

            “I have actually thought this through,” Tsunami informed Don.

            “Then know this, if you hurt my brother in any way, there is no safe place for you to hide from me,” Don said.

            Tsunami swallowed his quick rejoinder.  He was once again struck by how ominous the purple banded Turtle had become.  Raphael might be protective and possessive of his siblings, but he certainly did not corner that market.

            “Duly noted.  You have my word,” Tsunami said and quickly departed.

            Don stood still as he watched Tsunami leave.  His insides felt as though someone had shoved a red hot poker into his guts and swirled it around.

            He had just turned over the safety and well-being of his brother Raphael to a virtually unknown fate.  Don knew what Tsunami had promised and he wanted to believe the words.

            But he knew quite well that words were easy to manipulate.  Giving Tsunami a free hand in dealing with Raph was a decision based not on the promises that slipped so easily from the blue mutant’s mouth. 

            Don had made that leap of faith based on a gut reaction to the way Tsunami had said those words.  Tsunami had for once sounded deadly serious about something, and that something was Raphael.  Whether or not Tsunami was willing to admit anything about his feelings for the red banded Turtle, Don was pretty sure he had them and that they were quite strong.

            Tonight would tell Don if his faith in Tsunami was misguided or not.  Don sincerely hoped that it was not.

            After all, Don’s world of science did not normally accept leaps of faith.


	62. JF62 Rescue and Rebuild

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 3,711  
> Rated: NC-17 TCest  
> Summary: Falling in love hasn't changed Donatello, he's just as determined as he's ever been to fix things, including his brother Leo.

            Leo was tying his belt on when Don opened the door to check on him.

            His big brother didn’t look up as Don slid quietly into the room, shutting the door behind him and standing silently in front of it.

            “I tried to sleep Don,” Leo said as he reached for his sheaths.

            “You weren’t in bed long enough to even relax.”  Don crossed his arms over his plastron.  “The body’s ability to heal itself quickly is greatly diminished by exhaustion Leonardo.”

            Leo smiled slightly at the lecture he’d heard at least a thousand times before.  “I won’t do anything more strenuous than walking without a cane.  Besides, meditation refreshes me as much as sleep and I’d prefer to sit in the dojo right now.”

            Don came forward and took the sheaths from Leo’s hands.  “Sitting down there isn’t going to make Mikey or Raph come home faster.  And meditation is not a replacement for sleep; it may make you feel better mentally, but your body still needs to periodically shut down.”

            “Donatello . . . .” Leo began as he watched his brother place his sheathed swords back against the wall.

            “No.”  Don was adamant.  “Come sit down so I can take a look at the stitches.”

            The look on Don’s face told Leo an argument would be fruitless, so he instead did as Don asked.

            Don took his time pulling the bandages away from Leo’s stitches.  He was gratified to see the skin had a healthy glow and the wound was in the process of healing nicely.  This was the first time Don had seen the stitching job Ananda had done and he nodded in appreciation for the fine handiwork.

            As he worked, he told Leo, “You don’t need to worry about our brothers right now.  Mikey called.  He’s at the Justice Force building and he’s going to stay put.  They found a nanobot that they believe might contain a copy of Nano’s memories.”

            Leo was studying Don as his genius brother bent over his leg.  Don had an air of calm, quiet assurance about him that Leo hadn’t seen in a while.

            “You said brothers, as in both of them.  Raph?” Leo asked.

            Don sat back on his heels and met Leo’s eyes.  “He’s on Coney Island.”

            Leo nodded, not happy by any means, but at least relieved.  Then a thought came to him.

            “How do you know that?  Did he turn his phone back on?”

            Don laughed shortly.  “No.”  Standing, he came around to sit next to Leo.  “Tsunami was here about fifteen minutes ago.  He saw Raph last night and planted a tracking device on him.  Something Raph said or did seemed to make Tsunami feel it would be prudent to know where our brother would be going.”

            Leo picked up on a nuance in Don’s voice that had him staring.  “Tsunami?  Not Casey?”

            Don shrugged.  “Raph told me he and Tsunami had been working together on tracking down the source of the cyanide bullets.  I wasn’t supposed to say anything as long as what they were doing didn’t effect anyone else, but Raph’s going off like this could mean he’s still intent on tracing that ammunition.”

            “He was working with Nobody on that,” Leo said the name with the tiniest wince.  If Don hadn’t been sitting so close, he might not have noticed.

            “Raph was working with both of them,” Don told him.  “He was spending part of the evening with Nobody and Casey, and after they left off for the night Raph would meet Tsunami.  Those two were the ones who actually got the lead on that warehouse we were all in.”

            Leo turned his head and stared straight in front of him.  His hands wanted to twist together, but he held them rigidly against his thighs.

            “How much more about my own family do I not know?” he said in a low voice.

            “Don’t start doing that Leo,” Don said sharply.  “You can’t live inside our shells with us.  Life flows around us and we change with it.  We grow with it.  We’re still a family, we’re still a team, and we’re still lovers.”

            Leo’s head whipped around.  “How can we have that when you and Mikey are in new relationships?”

            Don’s hand moved to stroke Leo’s cheek.  When Leo started to pull away, Don grabbed his bicep firmly, holding him in place.

            “Mikey and I seem to have found partners who are willing to share us, Leo,” Don informed him softly.

            Leo stared into Don’s brown eyes for several minutes as he processed that information.

            “I don’t understand how that will work,” Leo finally said.

            A small smile etched Don’s face.  “The same way it’s been working for the four of us over the last two years, bro’.  When you need one of us, we’ll be there.  When I spend time with Raptarr, it will just be us two, but when I’m here at home, I belong to you guys.”

            “You’ll be thinking about him the entire time,” Leo stated.

            Don shook his head.  “No, I won’t.  I’m not obsessed with Raptarr, Leo.  I’m in love with him.  I don’t need to think about him all the time because what we have is deeper than that.  It’s like what I have with you.  It’s just a calm confidence that I have your heart and you have mine.”

            As if to emphasize his point, Don leaned forward and pressed his mouth to Leo’s.  For just a moment, Leo didn’t respond, his amber eyes locked on Don’s dark ones.  Then Leo’s eyelids fluttered and lowered, his head tilted further and his lips opened under Don’s.

            Leo caressed Don’s tongue with his own, relishing the wet warmth of Don’s mouth.  His brother tasted of coffee and miso soup and just for a moment, Leo wanted to laugh at the absurdity of that combination of flavors.

            The kiss broke by mutual consent and the brothers touched their foreheads together.

            “I’m happy for you and Raptarr,” Leo whispered.

            Don sat back a little so he could better see Leo’s eyes.  “Do you really mean that Leo?  It took a while for me to accept my own feelings.  I was so busy worrying about what was happening between you and Nobody that I didn’t realize that same thing was happening to me.”

            A corner of Leo’s lip lifted in a wan smile.  “There is nothing between Nobody and me,” he said softly.

            Don’s hand left Leo’s bicep and traveled down to catch one of his big brother’s hands.  “You know I don’t believe that, don’t you?” he asked.  “I don’t think you believe it either, otherwise you wouldn’t keep pushing those words out at me.  You’re trying to convince yourself.”

            “It’s not important right now, Don.”  Leo seemed to shake himself.  “We need to let Mikey know where Raphael is and that we are going to take the truck and go after him.”

            Don stopped him from rising.  “We are not,” Don said firmly.  “Tsunami has offered to go to Raph and keep him out of trouble.  I think we’ve all seen that Tsunami is quite capable of handling tough situations.  What you and I are going to do is take a nap.”

            Leo started to protest, “Raphael is our brother and this is a family matter . . . .”

            “As Tsunami so aptly pointed out to me,” Don smoothly interrupted, “we are much too emotionally invested.  All we’ll manage to do in this state of mind is anger Raph that much more, especially if we show up without Mikey.  Let’s give Tsunami a chance, okay?  He seems to have found a way to reach Raph.”

            “If he needs us . . . .” Leo began again.

            Once more Don jumped in.  “I have both of our phones right here Leo.”  Don tugged them from his belt and leaned across Leo’s lap to place the shell cell’s on Leo’s bedside table.

            “Tsunami has both of these numbers.  The truck is fueled and ready to go if we need it.  Besides that, it’s nearly noon and neither Raph or Mikey are going anywhere for a while.”

            “I feel as though I need to do something,” Leo said, fidgeting.

            “You need to sleep,” Don said forcefully.  “You need to stop thinking about all of this for a few hours and relax.”

            Lifting his hands to Leo’s shoulders, Don applied even and insistent pressure, pushing Leo back onto his carapace.  Don shifted backwards, drawing his knees under him so he could catch Leo’s legs in order to lift them onto the bed.

            Crawling up next to Leo, the purple banded Turtle lay on his side, lifting himself on one arm so he could look down into Leo’s face.

            Although Leo had complied with Don’s urgings to lie down, he was by no means relaxed.  His mind was in hyper drive; thoughts of the whirlwind their lives had suddenly become swirling about in his head.

            Don watched Leo’s eyes, knowing that while the elder Turtle’s face would give nothing away, Leo’s eyes betrayed his emotions to anyone who knew him well enough.  The rigidity of Leo’s body and the fierce intensity in his eyes told Don that his brother wouldn’t be able to sleep unless drastic measures were taken.

            For just a second Don considered giving Leo a sedative; but to do so meant leaving the room to get and fill a syringe.  The genius brother doubted very much he would find Leonardo still in bed when he returned.

            With the ghost of a smile, Don decided to take care of Leo’s inability to relax the old fashioned way.

            Leaning over he pressed a light kiss to Leo’s forehead and simultaneously touched the pads of his fingers to Leo’s plastron.  The touch was soft, a mere ghosting of the tips of his fingers down the center front line that ran between Leo’s scutes.

            A corner of Don’s mouth twitched as he saw Leo’s eyes flicker at that touch.

            Again Don pressed a light kiss on his brother, this time to his temple.  As he did so, Don trailed his fingers upwards, until he was touching the skin just above Leo’s plastron.  He applied barely any pressure, almost tickling the sensitive flesh as his fingers played along the edge of shell.

            “Donny . . . .” Leo almost hissed, completely understanding Don’s intent.

            “Shush Leo.  Don’t make me go ninja on you,” Don husked teasingly into Leo’s ear.

            The threat made Leo smile slightly and relaxed him more than the soft kisses had.  Seeing Don’s face so close, smelling his warm coffee scented breath and feeling the touch of those calloused yet gentle fingers reassured Leo about Don’s devotion more than ten million words ever could have.

            “You know you could never take me,” Leo responded with a breathless laugh.

            “That’s all right, you can take me,” Don told him and pressed a kiss to Leo’s lips.

            This kiss was far from light and gentle.  It was hungry, urgent; Leo opened his mouth to allow Don to feed.  Their tongues played across each other’s, curling together as the kiss slowly built a fire in both of them.

            Don’s hand traveled lower again, working its way across Leo’s plastron to thumb his bare ribs.  Leo rolled onto his side to face Don, their mouths never breaking apart, and Leo grabbed the back of Don’s neck as the elder began to ravage his brother’s mouth.

            The hand on Leo’s bare side moved again, drifting to a lean hip and stroking it invitingly.  In response, Leo rolled further towards Donny, pushing his younger brother onto his carapace.

            Leo released his grip on Don’s neck and ran his palm across his brothers nearly unblemished plastron.  His fingers registered the faint scars that Raptarr had discovered, but each one played a corresponding pictorial memory for Leonardo.

            Every inch of Don’s body held deep meaning to Leo and the leader took a quick, shuddering breath at realizing how truly in love he was with Donatello.

            Leo’s gasp broke their kiss and Don whispered, “Are you okay?  Just go slow and mind your leg.”

            Leo had to laugh.  He’d completely forgotten about his injury.

            “If you think a cut and a few stitches is going to stop me now, you really have gone crazy,” Leo said and then brushed his lips across Don’s jawline.

            “Don’t worry, I’ve learned never to underestimate you, bro’,” Don told him, arching as Leo’s tongue moved to his throat.

            A low chuckle was his response.  Leo kissed his way across Don’s neck, tasting the olive skin as he went.  Don’s unique flavor was like an aphrodisiac; one taste and nerve endings all over Leo’s body began to ignite.

            Forgetting everything except his brother underneath him, Leo began to rub his hand up and down Donatello’s thigh.  His brother responded; spreading his legs to allow Leo access to more sensitive regions.

            Don’s hands were not idle; one clutched at Leo’s battered shell, drawing him close as the other pet Leo’s hip and thigh.  Dipping into the crease where the two met, Don let his fingers walk inwards until he felt the bulge that told him Leo was more than a little interested.

            Leo’s churr broke the quiet of the room and Don sighed happily.  His Avian lover could make some wonderful and rewarding noises, but no sound could ever move Donatello as much as the sound of his brother’s churr.

            Without taking his mouth off of Don’s skin, Leo lifted himself and moved between Don’s parted thighs.  Don’s hand moved with him; applying pressure to Leo’s already stimulated yet hidden arousal.

            Leo grinned as his mouth began to work its way down Don’s body.  His brother liked to test Leo’s control; trying to get Leo to drop down first.  He was never successful, but they both enjoyed the effort.

            Pulling away from Don’s hand, Leo’s tongue played over his brother’s scutes, painting a wet trail down towards Donatello’s lower plastron.  Don’s hips moved in anticipation and his head ground into the mattress, eyes squeezing shut because he knew where that hot tongue was heading.

            Leo’s thumbs dug into the insides of Don’s thighs as he pulled them further apart.  Lowering his head between them, Leo played his tongue over Don’s wiggling tail and chuckled again as his brother gasped.

            Don’s heart was hammering in his chest.  Having lost his grip on his brother, Don grabbed a double fistful of sheet instead, twisting the bedding as Leo’s tongue teased him.

            The little breathy moans Leo was drawing out of Don sent a tingling sensation down Leo’s spine.  Licking upwards, Leo rubbed his beak against the hardness beneath Don’s shell and Don bucked, a long rolling churr echoing from his throat.

            Don saw bright sparks behind his eyes when Leo’s wide, warm tongue passed over the slit hiding his erection.  Trembling, he held on a little longer, although the battle was lost as soon as Leo’s tongue inched its way inside and touched the head of Don’s dick.

            “Ughh!” Don grunted, giving up and allowing his cock to drop down.

            Leo’s satisfied hum rolled over Don’s skin just before the elder brother’s hot mouth swallowed Don’s cock.

            Digging his heels into the mattress, Don thrust upwards as Leo’s mouth moved away.

            “Impatient,” Leo teased, wrapping his hand around Don’s cock; his grip firm as he expertly stroked his brother’s shaft.

            “L . . .Leo!” Don called, panting and twitching as Leo pulled him closer to his release.

            The added husky note to Don’s normally dulcet voice made Leo’s mouth water.  Flowing upwards, Leo stretched over Donatello and captured his mouth in a searing kiss.

            Leo’s hand squeezed and released rhythmically around Don’s cock, although he stopped pumping him.  The leader wasn’t quite ready for Don to orgasm just yet.

            Pulling his mouth away with a frantic twist of his head, Don moaned, “Oh, shell, Leo please. . .don’t. . .don’t stop . . .not. . .not now!”

            Leo bit his neck lightly.  “You must learn control, grasshopper,” he said with an evil grin, paraphrasing an old television show.  Don’s answering groan made him smile.

            Twisting sideways, Leo stretched an arm to the side and snagged a tube of lubricant from his bedside table.  Lifting off Don, Leo released his brother’s leaking cock and shook his head slightly as Don’s chest rumbled in protest.

            “You don’t want me to go in dry do you?” Leo asked with a smug expression on his face.

            Don whispered, “No.”  Even though the question was rhetorical, the genius was too far gone to process that fact.  All he wanted was Leo’s hot dick inside of him and Leo’s firm grip fisting him.

            Working a well lubed finger into Don’s tight opening, Leo pushed slowly until he was in as deep as he could go.  Curling his finger, he carefully stretched Donatello with the one finger before withdrawing it and then just as carefully, he added a second.

            Don was writhing under him, his hands balling the sheets around his body.  Leo glanced down at his brother’s bobbing organ, noting how darkly rigid it had become and he churred.

            The responding churr from his younger brother finally snapped Leo’s iron control and his cock dropped from hiding.  Taking it as a sign, Leo removed his fingers from Don’s ass, squeezed some more lube onto his fingers, and liberally coated his own large organ.

            Shifting a bit, Leo positioned himself closer to his brother’s snug anus, grabbing the edge of Don’s shell and tilting his hips at a better angle.

            “Careful of . . .of your st . . .stiches,” Don managed to say between panting breaths.

            Leo would have laughed at that if his breath hadn’t left him as soon as the head of his cock worked its way past the tight ring of muscle at Don’s entrance.  Leo’s entire focus shifted downwards, his famous concentration narrowed to the feel of Don’s smooth inner walls caressing his pulsating organ.

            Once fully sheathed, Leo released a long shuddering breath and caught Don’s eye.  His younger brother was flushed and sweaty, his lower lip caught between his teeth and his deep brown eyes hazed over with lust.

            Leo’s cock twitched at the beauty of it and he pulled partway out in order to drive hard into Don’s willing ass.

            Don jumped slightly as Leo started to move, his brother’s full body thrusts making Don’s body sing with pleasure.  When Leo wrapped a hand around Don’s neglected cock, the purple banded Turtle almost choked on his own spit.

            “Oh, oh . . .yes, Leo, yes.  Harder . . . .” Don begged and mewled, his head thrashing from side to side.

            Leo’s pleased churr was almost swallowed by the sounds of their sex.  Damp skin slapping together, shells scrapping with a raspy high note and hard heavy breathing lifted from the bed and provided the symphony they danced to.

            Gripping the undersides of Don’s thighs, Leo lifted him a bit more in order to drive deeper.  Leo kept his own legs slightly spread, thus avoiding rubbing against the stitches in his skin.  The position gave him the added bonus of being able to put more of his hips into each thrust, and as an experiment, he added a small twist to each forward lunge.

            The new move was immediately rewarding.  Don gasped loudly and his hips jumped off the mattress just before a hard shudder racked his body from head to toe.

            “Ahh, Leo!” Don yelled as his older brother repeated the move, grinding into Don’s prostate firmly.

            Don’s body was clamping all around Leo’s shaft and the elder brother was getting close to his climax.  His hand on Don’s cock sped up and his grip tightened on the throbbing organ.  Don’s precome slicking the hot skin on his dick added a squelching sound to their symphony.

            “What do you want Don?” Leo asked as his movements became more staccato.

            “Harder…f…faster,” Don begged, his voice guttural with lust.

            Leo rammed into Don as hard as he could and his hand on Don’s cock became a blur.  Don’s fists, wrapped tightly in the sheets, began to pound the mattress and his heels pushed down as he lifted himself closer to Leo.

            “Nnn . . .agh. . .ngh, Leo! L. . .Leo!  Le~o!” Don cried out as his hips bucked and he shot his hot, milky load across Leo’s hand, drenching Don’s plastron and the mattress on either side of him.

            Leo’s eyes narrowed in concentration.  Don’s body was contracting all around him, creating a delicious tight friction.  The tingle in his belly shifted down, growing until it was a raging fire and with a final desperate push, Leo came, spilling his hot seed into Don’s ass.

            The two brothers shared deep gasping breaths as they fought to pull oxygen into their bodies.  A sheen of moisture covered them; both were sticky and hot and completely sated.

            After several moments, Leo pulled his shrinking organ from Don’s body and rolled off of his brother.

            “Damn Leo that was  . . . .” Don tried to find the words and for once failed.

            “I know,” Leo said, still trying to get his breathing under control.

            Don pulled a section of bed sheet up and swiped at the mess on his plastron.  His efforts were mostly ineffectual and he gave up, too tired to care.

            Glancing at his brother from the corner of his eye, Don saw Leo had already started to doze off.

            “Pleased with yourself?” Leo murmured, not so far gone that he couldn’t feel Don’s gaze on him.

            Don grinned.  “Yep.  You’re relaxed aren’t you?” he asked in a low voice.

            “Mmm,” Leo answered, drifting further into sleep.

            Feeling drowsy himself, Don shifted into a more comfortable position next to his brother, resting a hand lightly on Leo’s chest.  The slow steady heartbeat was soothing and Don’s eyes shut.

            Just before he let sleep take him, Don decided that since his night was not going to be commandeered by a Raphael rescue mission, he would use the time to rescue someone else.

            He had a pretty good idea of where to look for Nobody.


	63. JF63 Running Interference

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 2,995  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Donatello has the best interests of his brother at heart, but how far is he willing to go to help him?

            Mikey had done as promised and had left his cell phone turned on.  He had even answered fairly promptly; a somewhat unusual occurrence for him.

            _“Donny!”_ Mike practically screamed into the phone.  _“Nano is back!”_

            “Oh Mikey!  I’m so happy for you,” Don told him.

            _“Are you really, really Don?  You aren’t just saying that ‘cause you and Raptarr  . . . .”_ Mikey began.

            “Are a couple?” Don laughed.  “No Mikey, I mean it.  Because of Raptarr I understand better now what you were trying to explain to me, but I’m sincerely happy for you.”

            _“He’s the most awesome boyfriend ever,”_ Mikey said with a sigh.

            Don smiled.  His kid brother could always find a way to put such innocent joy into anything.

            “I hate to interrupt you two, but I need for you to come home and look after Leo,” Don said.

            Mikey’s voice changed to a more serious note.  _“Something else happened, didn’t it?”_

            Don sighed.  “Yes, Mikey.  Something else happened.”  He didn’t really want to talk about it over the phone.

            His brother was, as usual, too perceptive to be put off.  _“Leo and Nobody had a falling out didn’t they?”_

            “I’m afraid so,” Don answered.

            _“Now Leo’s doing the ‘I’m a loner ‘cause I’m the leader’ routine right?  So why do I need to come watch him?  He’s not Raph; Leo isn’t going to go out and try to find a fight to get his mind off of it.  He’ll light some candles and soak himself in the misery,”_ Mikey pointed out.

            “That’s just it.  I don’t want him to do that.  You know how hard it is to pull him out when he decides to disconnect from us,” Don said.

            _“Okay, I get you.  Mikey’s mission, should I choose to accept it, is to cheer up Leonardo.  Can I bring Nano with me?”_ Mikey asked.

            “Can you pay attention to Leo if Nano is with you?” Don countered.

            _“Sure I can!  Nano is a lot of fun and very thoughtful.  We can make dinner and get Leo to teach Nano some ninja stuff,”_ Mikey said.

            That mental image had Don laughing again.  “Whatever works Mikey.”

            _“So Don.  Why aren’t you going to be able to stay with Leo?”_ Mikey asked, getting down to something the purple banded brother wasn’t ready to discuss.

            “I have a little. . .job to do,” Don told him.  “It’s too complicated for the phone, Mikey.  Just trust me when I say it’s something I need to do and Leo does not need to know about it.”

            _“Hokay, gotcha covered.  Do you know where to find Nobody?”_ Mikey asked.

            Don shook his head, gazing at the phone in amazement.  His brother really was an intuitive genius.

            “I have a good idea about where he’ll be.  Mikey, it’s very important Leo doesn’t know, okay?”  Don needed to stress that point.  Leo would be severely displeased if he knew what Don was planning.

 _“Not an idiot Don.  I’ll be home as soon as it gets dark.  That’ll give you a couple of hours to hang around and then sorta drift off towards your lab.  Keep the door shut and Leo won’t know you’ve left,”_ Mikey told him.

            “Thanks bro’.  I appreciate it,” Don said.

            _“Hey, anything for true love,”_ Mikey joked.  _“Don, just be careful please.  I don’t want you to meet up with Nobody and then come home all shot up like Leo was.”_

            “That poor guy is getting a terrible reputation,” Don scolded lightly.  “I’ll stay out of trouble.  I just want to talk.”

            _“Sounds good. See you in a little while,”_ Mikey said and hung up.

****************************************

            Nobody had looked at his face in the bathroom mirror before pulling his mask down to cover it.  He decided he preferred it covered.

            His face was giving away too much these days.  Being Nobody meant exactly that; no person, not anyone, no one.  He’d looked it up once and found it to be appropriate.

            The blank, black covering was what he was supposed to be.  Hoping for anything more was fooling himself.  Walking around wallowing in self-pity wasn’t much better.

            Despite everything that had occurred over the last couple of months and more specifically, the last few days, Nobody still had a job to do.  Someone had manufactured cyanide tipped bullets and that someone was still out there.

            The sale of those bullets was probably lucrative, because whoever was responsible for them didn’t care about losing an entire warehouse full of finished product.

            That meant that this person didn’t give a crap about human life either, and that was the kind of person Nobody had made it his mission to find and destroy.

            Just a matter of hours ago Nobody had a friend who believed in the same things.  A friend who understood him like no one ever had and who made him feel alive.   A friend he could say anything to, share anything with and who never judged him harshly.

            A matter of hours ago Nobody was somebody.  Screwing that up was all on him.

            Before he left his room, Nobody doubled his fist and slammed it into the wall.  The sheetrock crumpled, leaving a big hole.  Nobody’s fist ached and he concentrated on the pain in his knuckles.

            It didn’t cover the pain in his heart.

****************************************

            After he successfully snuck out of the lair, Don called Raptarr.  The sound of his lover’s voice made Don’s heart leap into his throat.

            “Did you talk to Chrysalis today?” Don asked.

            “No.  She has locked herself in her room and has not come out.  I did speak to Ananda for a few moments.  She tells me that Chrysalis is extremely remorseful and embarrassed.  I’m hoping she will come out tomorrow so I can try to help ease her mind,” Raptarr told him.

            Don maneuvered his slider around an obstruction in the sewer and continued on his course.  “You’re being very kind considering what happened.  Are you sure you want to talk to her so soon?  Maybe you both need to take a little time,” Don said.

            “Wounds fester with time.  It is much better to excise them and let them heal,” Raptarr said.  “Are you driving?” he asked.

            “Yes,” Don answered.  “I’m in the sewers.”

            “Not alone I hope,” his lover asked with a note of concern in his voice.

            Don chuckled.  “I don’t know why everyone feels I shouldn’t go anywhere alone.  I am not _that_ easily distracted.”

            “I can meet you, just tell me where,” Raptarr said hurriedly.

            “Not this time Raptarr.  What I have to do I must do alone,” Don explained.  “Do you know if Nobody left the building tonight?”  It dawned on Don that question should have been asked before he left the lair.

            “Yes he did.  I saw him less than an hour ago.  Something is wrong with him I think.  He has had no interaction with anyone at all.  Is it something to do with him that draws you out all by yourself?” Raptarr wanted to know.

            “You remember I told you that Raph and Nobody had fought?” Don asked.

            “I do,” Raptarr said.  “It was about Nobody’s feelings for Leonardo, was it not?”

            “It was,” Don acknowledged.  “Afterwards, Leo and Nobody had words.  Leo is sometimes overprotective of us, to the exclusion of his own happiness.  They parted ways and I think that decision was premature.”

            “And now you go to find Nobody,” Raptarr said.

            “Someone from our family should talk to him.  So far the only conversation he’s had has been with Raph’s fist.  Maybe I can find a way to make this right.  I have to try,” Don explained.

            “Are you a substitute for destiny, Donatello?” Raptarr asked.

            “Maybe just its keeper.  That’s the way we are Raptarr.  Our whole lives we’ve lived in such close proximity that now when one of us is in pain, the others hurt as well.  If we can’t find our own remedy, one of our brothers will,” Don said.

            “That is actually quite beautiful Don.  You are quite beautiful,” Raptarr told him.

            Don could feel himself blushing.  Right then he would have liked nothing better than to feel Raptarr’s arms around him.

            “It’s only been a few hours and I miss you,” Don admitted.

            “And I you.  Please promise that you won’t take any chances; the thought of anything happening to you freezes my heart,” Raptarr said.

            “I promise.  May I call if I need you?” Don asked.

            “Of course.  Call if you even _think_ you might need me and just see how fast I can arrive,” Raptarr said.

            “I’ll hold you to that,” Don laughed.  “Goodnight.”

            “Goodnight my love,” Raptarr said softly.

****************************************

            Nobody crouched in the shadows of a low rooftop across from a rundown office building.  There was a time when he would have waited in an alley while he staked out a location, but his association with the Turtles had shown him rooftops gave better access and better views.

            His search of property tax records had given him nothing useful.  The building had been owned by the same family for fifty years.  It was managed by a company who took care of hundreds of such old and dilapidated buildings.  Both the family and the property management company had unblemished records.

            The building was three stories tall with twenty small offices to each floor.  Each office was individually leased and Nobody had been unable to find out much about the person who was leasing room 218.

            He’d been watching for over two hours and not even the faintest flicker of light showed behind the one window in the office.  Nobody had told Michelangelo that the office had probably been abandoned when the police had taken those five men from the warehouse into custody.  Unfortunately, it looked as though he was right.

            “Were you planning to go inside?”  A soft voice from behind him asked.

            Nobody froze momentarily and then slowly turned.  Just for a moment, that voice had sounded like Leonardo’s.

            “So far the only one of you who hasn’t snuck up on me at some point is Michelangelo,” Nobody said tolerantly.  “Should I be looking for him?”

            “No.”  Don remained in the dark shadow of a storage shed.  “He’s at the lair watching over Leo.”

            The wording wasn’t lost on Nobody.  “Is Leonardo all right?  Has something else happened?” Nobody asked urgently.

            “Physically everything is fine.”  Don was pleased to see how worried Nobody had become on thinking Leo was hurt.  Apparently, there were very strong feelings involved between Nobody and his brother.

            “Then I don’t understand what brings you here,” Nobody said as he turned back to watching the office building.

            “You don’t think I came here in the interests of furthering justice?” Don asked facetiously.

            Nobody glanced over his shoulder at him.  “Certainly not after hearing your tone of voice,” he said.  “I am planning to go inside, so if you have something to say, say it.”

            “I will.”  Donatello stepped closer, lowering his body so as not to skyline himself.  “First off, the small section of brighter white in the upper left corner of that window is an alarm contact.  A very good one from what I can make out from over here.  I hope you noted that.”

            Nobody turned and stared at the window a moment before seeing what Don had picked out in just a couple of minutes.  In two hours of watching that window Nobody hadn’t noticed the alarm and probably wouldn’t have.

            “I didn’t,” he conceded.  “What else?”

            “There’s an expensive satellite array hidden behind that fake pigeon coop on the roof.  Everything is painted over to look old and rusty, but who the shell has an empty pigeon coop on top of an office building?”

            Nobody looked across at the roof.  His glance had skimmed over that coop a couple dozen times without seeing what Don had just pointed out to him.  Now the satellite dish was visible and it was obviously a high end model.  Very out of place for the type of building and the type of people one would expect to find occupying it.

            With a sigh, Nobody said, “I suppose you see something else I’ve missed.”

            “Yes I do.”  Don looked directly into his eyes.  “I see that Leo is in love with you.”

            For several minutes Nobody remained silent, his heart hammering in his chest.  He finally managed to ask, “Is that some concern of yours Donatello?  Don’t you have your own love interest to worry about?”

            “Feeling defensive?  I don’t blame you considering how Raphael is behaving over the news of you and Leo’s interest in each other,” Don said.

            “He needn’t be upset any longer.  The issue is closed.  Leo belongs to you and your brothers and that’s final,” Nobody informed him.

            “Funny, Leo tried to convince me of the same thing,” Don told him.  “I couldn’t find his assertions very convincing either.”

            Nobody turned back to his study of the office building.  Donatello’s deep brown eyes were too intelligent as they stared into his own and even with his head covered by a mask Nobody felt he was giving himself away.

            “The four of you are much too close,” Nobody pointed out.

            “Of course we are.  How many of our kind do you suppose there are in this world?” Don asked.  “For us to find happiness we had to first make it ourselves and it wasn’t all that easy to do.  You have no idea of the obstacles we’ve overcome and that’s fine, I don’t expect you to understand because you are human and you’ve always had choices.”

            “Donatello . . . .” Nobody started to say.

            Don interrupted him.  “You are a straight forward type of person, Nobody.  You do what needs to be done without putting it off and you’re having a hard time understanding Leo’s reserve.  You shouldn’t have jumped into the discussion between he and Raph.”

            “I couldn’t just stand by and listen to Raphael abuse him,” Nobody said earnestly.

            “It wasn’t the first time, Nobody.  That is how Leo and Raph are; that’s how they communicate.  You didn’t understand the situation before you leaped into the middle of it and you left Leo with very few options,” Don explained.

            Nobody nodded distractedly.  “I forced him to make a choice,” he said softly.

            Don pressed his lips together.  Leo hadn’t exactly told him what was said in that final exchange between he and Nobody, but he had guessed.

            “I’m not letting Leo off the hook of this either,” Don said.  “He is a tactician at heart and I’m sure he hasn’t been as forthcoming as you would have liked.  Leo can also be pretty obstinate.  Trying to push him into anything is always the worst choice because he’ll shut down on you.”

            “Leonardo has no idea you’re here, does he?” Nobody asked as he turned to look at Donatello once more.

            Don shook his head.  “No he doesn’t.  Does that bother you?”

            Nobody looked down at his hand, flexing it a few times to work the soreness out of it.

            “Only in that you have no idea what Leo and I decided.  If you had you wouldn’t have come and you wouldn’t be trying to pull us together behind your brother’s back,” Nobody told him bluntly.

            “I don’t have to know the decision to know it isn’t sitting well with Leo and it sure as shell isn’t sitting well with you.  If you feel like I’m interfering so be it.  You having something significant with Leo is going to involve me and that’s a fact you need to start understanding right now,” Don said.

            Nobody shifted his position, feeling both irritated and confused.

            “I issued an ultimatum, Donatello.  I issued it and Leo made his decision.  You can’t change that no matter how glib you are,” Nobody said shortly.

            Don snorted.  “I’ll bet you punched a wall with that hand didn’t you?”

            Nobody yanked his arm down out of Don’s sight.  “Just leave it alone Donatello.”

            Don chuckled.  “Leo seems to bring that out in people.  You have a lot more in common with Raph than just being in love with my brother.”

            Nobody huffed but his retort died on his lips.  The tiniest flash of light had just shown through the window of room 218.

            “Damn,” he hissed.

            Don moved up next to him.  “They haven’t been near here since those guys were taken into custody because they thought they wouldn’t have time,” he observed.

            “I thought they’d have cleaned it out immediately, but they must not have heard about the arrests soon enough.  They thought the police already knew about this place,” Nobody said.

            “When all this time passed without a sign of the police, they must have felt safe enough to return,” Don finished for him.

            Nobody glanced at the purple banded Turtle.  Don was concentrated on the window as he watched for further signs of life.

            “Something in there must be damn important for them to take this chance,” Nobody told him.

            Donatello looked at him.  “Whatever it is, they are in the process of packing it up or destroying it right now.  What do you want to do?”

            “What I came here to do.”  Nobody rose and made for the ladder.  “Go into that office, find out who is behind those bullets and put a stop to their manufacture.”

            “All right, let’s do that,” Don was right behind him.

            Nobody paused at the top rung.  “You can’t go with me.”

            “What not?  You need backup and I’m all you have right now.  By the way, I’ve done this kind of thing before,” Don said.

            “If you get hurt, Leo will never forgive me,” Nobody said without thinking.

            Don grinned broadly.  “I’m glad to know you want Leo to forgive you.  I’ll remember you said that when this is over.”

            As Nobody slid down the ladder he thought, _“Damn ninjas.”_


	64. JF64 Tsunami's Ride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 2,628  
> Rated: NC-17  
> Summary: Tsunami is intent on saving both Raphael and himself.

            Tsunami rode a water slide over the Atlantic Ocean as he sped toward Coney Island.

            He knew to begin looking for Raphael along the boardwalk, because that was where Donatello said he preferred to hang out when he needed alone time.  The fact that the boardwalk was nearly three miles long was going to make the search interesting, especially if Raph refused to show himself.

            Unsure as to why Raphael had chosen to travel to Coney Island as part of his gambit to recover his brother’s affections, Tsunami decided to err on the side of caution and remain beyond the glare of the lamps lighting the boardwalk itself.

            It was after ten; everything was closed and dark for the evening.  Raphael had not left this location; Tsunami only knew this because Donatello would have called to tell him if Raph had.

            A flash of light caught his attention and Tsunami sped towards it, an unknown dread pulling him faster.

            The sound of the guns report followed the muzzle flash and spurred Tsunami to glide even faster, gathering a wall of water behind him as he moved.  He could see Raphael now; standing on the beach partially surrounded by a gang, all fighting furiously.

            Raph was hopelessly outnumbered with no place to run and wouldn’t have even if he could.

            The gang leader holding the gun had tried for another shot, but his buddies were too close and all he could do was wave the pistol around while he waited for another chance.

            From the looks of things, he might not have to shoot.  His gang was gaining the upper hand on the green freak despite the fact that the thing was hell on wheels with those three pronged weapons and appeared to have fists of steel.

            Raph’s hands and arms were bloody, his sais coated and slippery as he continued to fight  with a desperate fury.  He had begun this fight by attempting to avoid killing or maiming any of these punks because most were so young.

            Now he only saw red; the red of his fury, the red of their blood, the red haze of loss that had been slowly consuming him.  The red flash of fire pushing a bullet from a gun aimed at him.

            The cry that escaped the creature’s lips froze the gang leader’s spine.  He had no idea the thing had been holding back, but as soon as he’d shot at it, it seemed to change into something mindless and wild.

            Three of his men went down almost simultaneously, crying out their pain as their blood ran onto the sand.  The leader signaled some of the girls standing at the edge of melee to pull the injured aside.

            Suddenly he had a clear shot.  The thing had swung and knocked two more men aside; one it had hit so hard the man’s shoes were left behind.  His other gang members, becoming scared or wary, had backed beyond the things reach.

            “Play time’s over,” the gang leader snarled as he pulled the trigger.

            There was no way he could miss at that distance, and all Raph could do was flinch instinctively as he waited for the bullet to strike his flesh.

            A fierce shout pierced the night air and a hard wave of water slammed into the gang leader, throwing him several yards before his body hit the sand and ploughed a trench that half buried him.

            Raph watched the bullet push through the water, coming straight at his face.  It moved in slow motion as the rolling water grabbed at it, pulling against its forward momentum.

            Inches from Raph’s beak it stopped, suspended in a twisting mass of ocean water before both splashed to the sand at Raph’s feet.

            The sound of crashing waves assaulted his ears and Raph turned to see Tsunami riding high on a slide of water as he brought with him wet vengeance.

            Never had Raph seen the look the Tsunami wore now.  Always he was half joking; cocky and self-assured. 

            Now his blue eyes blazed with a ferocity that made Raph’s heart skip a beat.  His lips were curled back from his teeth in a feral growl as he slammed another wave of water into the gang members who still surrounded the Turtle.

            Screaming in pain and fright, the gang began to run for the boardwalk.  Those who were unable to move were lifted by tendrils of water and flung onto the tops of parked cars.

            The gang leader, dazed, rose to his feet and a fist sized ball of water rammed into his gut, knocking the air out of him and pushing him down again.  Two roiling tendrils of water converged on the man, grabbing his arms and pulling them backwards until a loud snap and a blood curdling scream told Raph the guy’s arms were busted.

            Then the gang leader was unceremoniously lifted by one ankle and tossed to his friends.

            In a matter of moments, the entire gang had cleared the area, their cars screeching loudly as they were driven with break neck speed away from the beach and boardwalk.

            Tsunami jumped from his water slide onto the now deserted beach and strode towards Raph, his hands clenched into tight fists and his head down.  His eyes however, continued to stare into the Turtle’s as he wordlessly crossed the distance between them.

            “How the fuck did ya’ find  . . .?” was all Raph managed to say before Tsunami grabbed his shoulders and smashed their mouths together.

            The kiss was brutal and deep.  Tsunami’s tongue took the lead, forcing its way into Raph’s mouth and pushing aside Raph’s attempt to dominate.

            Raph dropped his bloody sais into the sand as his hands flew up between them; flattening on Tsunami’s hard chest they tried to push the mutant away.  Tsunami’s grip on Raph’s shoulders tightened and he didn’t budge.

            Tsunami pulled his mouth away.  “Not this time Raphael.  You are not going to die just to prove a point to your brothers.  I won’t allow you to die, do you hear me?”

            Raph felt Tsunami’s fingers digging into his skin as he stared into the raging depths of the blue mutant’s eyes.

            “What I do ain’t your business,” Raph growled at him, struggling to pull out of the iron grip.

            “Yes it is!” Tsunami practically shouted in his face. 

            Tsunami shoved against Raph, driving his muscular legs into the sand for leverage even as Raph fought to stay upright.  But this time they were near the ocean.

            A blast of water slammed into the backs of Raph’s knees and buckled them.  His carapace hit the sand with Tsunami right on top of him.

            Before Raph could flip them over and reverse their positions, ocean water gripped the edges of his shell and held him firmly in place.

            Tsunami caught his wrists and shoved them into the sand on either side of his body.  Lying on top of Raph’s plastron, Tsunami brought his face within an inch of Raph’s.

            “Deny my feelings Raphael,” Tsunami said.

            “I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about,” Raph snarled.

            “You know damn well what I’m talking about.  You’ve tried to pretend we’re just fuck buddies but you treat me better than that, so stop lying to yourself,” Tsunami urged forcefully.

            “Goddammit Tsu!  What do ya’ want from me?” Raph asked as he struggled against the water’s hold.

            “You.  I want you, Raphael.  It’s all I’ve ever wanted,” Tsunami said, his mouth nearly touching Raph’s.

            Raph stopped moving and his eyes narrowed.  “You’re asking too much,” he said.

            “Am I?” Tsunami was staring into Raph’s eyes, holding them almost as tightly as he held Raph’s wrists.  “Then tell me what this is that we’ve been doing for the past week.  Not just the sex Raphael; the rest of it.  Say you didn’t enjoy hunting with me, or fighting alongside of me.  Say we have nothing in common,” Tsunami said.

            Raph breathed out and then he grit his teeth.  Finally he said, “Your timing ain’t for shit, Tsunami.”

            “Why, because your brothers are all taking outside lovers?  If they can want that additional happiness then you should let them have it.  From what I have seen, they will never stop loving you,” Tsunami told him.

            “Ya’ don’t know what you’re talking about,” Raph said.

            “Yes I do.  Because unlike you, I have taken the opportunity to talk to one of them,” Tsunami informed him just before pressing his mouth to Raph’s once more.

            Raph brought a leg up and tried to push against Tsunami’s hip to dislodge the mutant.  Tsunami’s tongue pushed deeper into Raph’s mouth as water tendrils rolled across the sand.  They caught Raph’s ankles, holding them down against the sand and pulling his legs apart.

            Tsunami shoved back from Raph, coming up on his knees between the Turtles legs.  He slowly began stripping himself of his bodysuit, watching Raph’s face all the while.

            Raph’s hands were free, and he tried pushing the water from his shell so he could move, but his fingers passed right through the liquid without loosening its grip.

            As he pushed his clothing over his hips, Tsunami waved a finger at the water, and a slender tendril broke free.  Sliding down Raph’s plastron, it moved over and then into the slit behind which Raph’s cock was hidden.

            “Nngh!” Raph eyes snapped shut and he ground the back of his head into the sand as the water wrapped around his hidden member and began stroking it to life.

            “I can give you pleasure you’ve never in your entire life dreamed about, Raphael,” Tsunami murmured, tossing his bodysuit aside.  “I can do things to your body that will make you scream in ecstasy.”

            Raph opened his eyes and lifted his head to see Tsunami still kneeling between his thighs.  The mutant was completely naked, his solidly muscled frame glistening with beads of the water he commanded.  His blue cock stood straight and proud; completely hardened it was a daunting size.

            Another finger wave, and twin tendrils broke from those cuffing Raph’s ankles and slowly slid up Raph’s legs, caressing his inner thighs as they moved.  Reaching down, Tsunami gently took hold of Raph’s tail and squeezed it, holding it still as the water began to push into Raph’s rectum.

            “Nnn, damn it Tsu.  Holy fuck!” Raph gasped as he felt the water invade his ass.

            “I can make prepping you extremely pleasurable,” Tsunami said, smiling smugly.

            The water moved in and expanded, swirling inside Raph’s body.  Stretching him, it also filled him and Raph’s head went back down to the sand, his eyes wide open as they stared unseeing at the stars above.

            “Sh. . .shell!” Raph hissed as the water formed a hard little ball and began to pound into his prostate.

            Leaning over him, Tsunami watched the water coax Raphael’s cock into the open.  Tsunami’s hand wrapped around Raph’s throbbing shaft and the water tendril slipped aside as Tsunami bent down and pressed a soft kiss to the tip of Raph’s dick.

            Raph grunted and his hips bucked.  Lifting his head again, he caught the blue mutant’s eyes and watched them as his lover bent again and flicked his tongue across the head of Raph’s cock.

            “Tell me you think about this Raph; tell me that you think about me,” Tsunami urged, pumping Raph’s solid shaft.

            Raph panted as visions of their encounters swam through his head.  He wanted to be stubborn and deny everything; just as he’d been denying the confused feelings that had ridden around in his gut for days.

            Tsunami’s lips slipped over his cock and Raph burst out, “Yes!  Fuck!  Yes!  Okay?  I fucking think about ya’.”

            The tongue that slid along the underside of Raph’s erection was warm.  “About us.  Tell me you think about us,” Tsunami insisted.

            “There c . . .can’t be us,” Raph hissed as Tsunami completely engulfed him.

            Sucking and licking Raph’s cock, Tsunami directed the water that was pounding into the red banded Turtles ass to slowly pull back.  The slide of the water as it receded left a tingling sensation that crawled into Raph’s abdomen and then pressed against the base of his cock.

            Releasing his hold on Raph’s erection, Tsunami reached between his own legs and jacked himself to full arousal before placing the tip of his dick against Raph’s entrance.  Taking a deep breath, Tsunami pushed against the puckered hole; the tight ring grabbing hungrily at him.

            “Sh~it!” Raph groaned as he was breached.  Tsunami was big enough to stretch him to slightly painful proportions.

            Tsunami paused.  Water moved back over Raph’s abdomen and covered his cock; tightening into a thick ring, it began to roll from base to tip in a continuous wave.

            In less than a minute, Tsunami felt Raph relax enough so that the blue mutant could continue his slide into the Turtle.

            This was Tsunami’s first time to fuck Raphael and he was gratified and amazed at how hot and tight the Turtle’s ass was.  Tsunami realized Raph’s dominate, aggressive nature probably drove the red banded brother to top his siblings on most occasions.

            Tsunami didn’t believe Raph to be a virgin, but as tight as Raph was, he was probably damn close to one.

            Looking down into Raphael’s face, he could see both pain and desire warring for Raph’s attention.  A tentative thrust made the Turtle gasp and quiver; his inner muscles responding by tightening slightly.

            It was too much for Tsunami’s barely maintained control.  He began to push into Raph faster, his hands gripping emerald thighs for leverage.

            Raph was churring uncontrollably, his closed fists pounding into the sand as the water ring stroked his cock with more speed.  He could feel Tsunami’s dick driving into his prostate, each strike made his hips jump off the sand.

            Tsunami spoke again, his voice low and urgent, raw with emotion and lust.

            “You can have me and your brothers, Raphael.  You can have it all; I don’t care just so long as I have you sometimes, like this.  Ahh, Raph,  ahhh so good. You…so tight….Raph say it, stop fighting us and say it.”

            “Us,”  Raph panted, “why…why ya’ can’t just l . . .leave it . . .”

            “No,” Tsunami said, fiercely driving his cock deeper into Raph’s body.  “You need me.”

            Tsunami’s eyes squeezed shut and he felt a constriction in his throat.  Opening his eyes again, he said, “I need you.”

_“I need you.”_   The words echoed sweetly in Raph’s head.  Someone wanted and needed him, just him and no one else.  Maybe that was the missing piece of his life’s puzzle.

            “I want us!”  Raph roared as his orgasm hit, his entire body shaking under its power.

            “Yes, oh yes!” Tsunami screamed, climaxing into Raph, marking him forever.  “Raphael, oh, yes, yes my Raphael,” Tsunami murmured over and over as his body jerked through his orgasm.

            Head down and breathing hard, Tsunami blinked away the water holding Raph to the sand.  His grip on Raph’s thighs loosened and Raph reached up to grab Tsunami’s biceps and pull him forward.

            Their lips met with the same passion they always showed, but the kiss was more searching and less urgent.  Raph let down his shields and caressed Tsunami’s back, running his thumbs gently over his lover’s spine.

            Tsunami melted into Raph, losing his cocky self-protective barrier as he stroked the side of the Turtles head.

            For several minutes neither of them felt their bodies, they seemed to have merged into a single, fiercely burning entity.  Raphael had never felt so alive.

            He had someone now.  Someone devoted to him; needing him.  Tsunami had called him ‘my Raphael’.

            Raph found he loved the sound of that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Provocative image created for this story by the ultra talented Sherenelle on DeviantArt.  
> 


	65. JF65 Lonely Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 2,243  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Nano is whole again, he and Mikey are happy, but there is still one more loose end to take care of.

            When Mikey returned to the lair, he not only brought Nano with him, but Ananda as well.

            Mikey and Nano had gone looking for her when they came out of Nano’s room.  Mikey didn’t want to leave without speaking to Ana; she was probably confused and curious about what had happened in the lab.

            When Mikey told Nano they needed to go to the lair, his boyfriend had expressed his excitement.  Interacting with Mikey in the Turtle’s home was something he hadn’t gotten to do much.  Being able to fully show his love for Mikey in public, now that he understood all of the ramifications, was incredible to a being who most considered to be merely a robot.

            “Will your Master Splinter accept my presence Michelangelo?” Nano asked as they headed towards the lab, expecting to find Ananda there.

            “Sure he will.  Sensei was upset with me because I hadn’t told my bro’s about the relationship you and I have.  He doesn’t object to you,” Mikey told him.

            “This may be the best day of my entire existence thus far,” Nano said.

            Mikey laughed and reached for Nano’s hand.  “Let’s see if we can make each one a little better.  I always did like having something to look forward to.”

            Ananda wasn’t in the lab, but they did find her in the kitchen.

            She smiled as they walked through the door.  “I was wondering if the two of you were going to surface before nightfall.”

            “Mikey has been called home by his brother Donatello,” Nano informed her.  “I am going with him to the lair.  Would you come with us?”

            Mikey did a double take.  His lover hadn’t mentioned anything about inviting Ananda along.

            Ana slowly put away the plates she had just finished drying.  She could tell by the look on Mikey’s face that Nano’s invitation was as much a surprise to him as it was to Ana.

            “I…I don’t know Nano.  It seems like it would be better if it were just the two of you.”

            Mikey turned his head away from Nano to look at Ana.  She appeared slightly embarrassed but also a little wistful.  That’s when it came to him that she might be lonely. 

            Ananda was an important part of the Justice Force team.  She was their tech person; not only completely savvy on all things computer related, but mechanical as well.  Ana could communicate with technology; when necessary she was able to speak directly to Nano through thought alone.

            She had advanced medical training and skills, something Mikey had found out first hand.  But despite all of her gifts, she was by herself a lot of the time.

            Silver Sentry did his leader thing and spent his free time with his fiancé.  Chrysalis, the only other woman in the building, had nothing in common with Ana.  They were friendly enough, but recently Chrys had either been in India or distracted by some difficulty of her own.

            Raptarr knew something about both electronics and mechanics, but now that he and Don were close, it was doubtful he’d be spending his free time with anyone else.  Nobody was much too single minded to be fun for anyone other than Leonardo, and Tsunami never seemed to take much of anything very seriously.

            Although officially retired, Metal Head and Zippy Lad both spent a lot of time at Justice Force headquarters.

            However, Metal Head was not the greatest communicator; a fact Mikey had discovered after several vigorous tries at getting to know the diminutive fighter.  And Zippy Lad was the epitome of the cantankerous old coot.  Certainly not fun for a young woman like Ananda.

            All of that flashed through Mikey’s head in less than a second.  Could Nano have seen her loneliness and was that why he was so determined to give Ananda ‘family’?

            Mikey suddenly realized that he also wanted Ananda to come along.

            “Ana, come with us.  You don’t really wanna hang out here by yourself do you?  We’re gonna get Leo to teach Nano some ninja skills.  You don’t wanna miss that,” Mikey said.

            “Are you sure I won’t be a third wheel, Mikey?” Ana asked, a hopeful expression crossing her face.

            “No way.  Leo likes to perform in front of an audience, he’ll just never admit it,” Mikey said irreverently.

            “Well . . . .” she said, still hesitant.

            “I’m gonna make dinner for us, too.  My cooking isn’t as good as yours, but it’ll be more fun eating with us than staying here and eating alone,” he added by way of enticement.

            Finally she laughed and gave in.  “Okay you guys.  I’ll come.”

            Nano piloted the launch on the trip back to shore. Ananda was seated at the back, her long hair whipping in the wind as she looked at the city skyline.

            Mikey had been standing with Nano, but turned and walked back to where Ana was, taking a seat close to her.  Neither of them saw the small smile that flashed across Nano’s face.

            “I should probably fill you in on some things before we get to the lair,” Mikey said, interrupting Ana’s thoughts.

            Turning her eyes to him, Ana said, “Things are still rough at home aren’t they?”

            Mikey chuckled lightly.  “’Fraid so.  Maybe I should have told you that before I dragged you into this boat and away from the quiet of the JF building.”

            Ana shifted so she was facing him.  “If my being there will help you Mikey, then I’m glad you ‘dragged’ me away.  The fact is, you and Nano were right; I didn’t really want to stay there by myself.”

            She didn’t tell him what else was going through her mind.  In the back of a speeding boat only a few minutes from their destination was not the time to get into a deep discussion about feelings.

            Mikey labeled his mission “distract Leonardo” and his strategy was simple.  It was a variation of the old three card Monte trick; Mikey just kept moving people around, each taking turns holding Leo’s attention.

            After dinner, Don excused himself and ostensibly went to complete some work in his lab.  Mikey caught his eye and winked, turning to tell Leo that Nano wanted to learn a few basic martial arts maneuvers.

            Ana clapped her hands excitedly and asked if Leo could show her as well.  Leo might have found a way to turn aside Mikey’s request to teach Nano, but he couldn’t refuse Ananda.  He felt obligated to her for all she had done to help his family; and Leo’s honor wouldn’t allow him to tell her no.

            The conspiratorial smile she tossed over her shoulder at Mikey as she followed Leo into the dojo made the orange banded Turtle’s heart sing.  With two such as Nano and Ananda working with him, he was feeling pretty unstoppable.

            A few minutes later, Don left the lair.  Mikey double checked to make sure Donny had closed the lab door, and then proceeded to join his co-conspirators in the dojo.

            After a bit, Ananda told Leo she needed to take a breather, and Leo returned to his work with Nano.  Ananda walked over to where Mikey was and sat down next to him.

            “That was actually a lot fun,” she told him.

            Mikey laughed.  “Don’t let Leo hear that; he’ll put you on a practice schedule and pretty soon your life won’t be your own anymore.”

            “All things considered, a change mightn’t be such a bad thing,” Ana said, her cheeks tinting pink under Mikey’s gaze.

            “You get lonely don’t you Ana?” Mikey asked, cutting right to the heart of things.

            “Yes,” she half whispered.  “Silly of me isn’t it?  Surrounded by friends and most of the time I’m alone.  It’s just that I . . . sometimes I don’t know the right things to say.  I never seem to have that problem when I’m around you.”  Her admission made her blush further.

            “Wow, that’s an awesome compliment,” Mikey said.  “I find it’s really easy to talk to you too.”

            Ananda clenched her fists in determination and half-turned to face Mikey.

            “Mikey, about today, that kiss Nano forced us into.  I wanted to tell you that I’m not mad about it,” she said and then mentally kicked herself for sounding so lame.

            With a chuckle, Mikey said, “I’ll be sure to tell Nano, he’ll be happy to know that.  Though I don’t think he worries too much how people will feel about stuff when he’s determined to do something.”

            “But why did he do it?” Ana asked, her eyes wide.

            Mikey sighed and for a few minutes he watched Leo and Nano practice with bokkens.  Nano’s movements were jerky and uncoordinated compared to Leo’s, but then everybody looked like that when they were fighting against Leo.

            Finally Mikey told Ana, “Nano thinks you need family.”

            Ana nodded.  “Yes, he said that to me.  I’m not sure what it means.”

            “Well, when Nano said it to me we ended up becoming lovers,” Mikey said.

            This time Ananda’s blush covered her entire face and part of her neck.  Mikey quickly grabbed her hand.

            “Ana, I’m sorry!  I didn’t mean to embarrass you.  I was trying to say that Nano has his own notion of what family is.  His shoving us together is his way of trying to build a family.”

            “It’s okay Mikey.  Truly it is.  I can’t control the blush even though I’m not really embarrassed.  What I’ve wanted to tell you is that I enjoyed that kiss,” Ana said, rushing to get the words out.

            “Me too,” Mikey told her as he squeezed her hand.

            Their eyes met and held, each discovering something new about the other.  The sounds of Leo and Nano’s practice bout bounced off the walls around them, but barely penetrated the bubble the two had built.

            “I like you Mikey,” Ananda said in a soft voice.

            “Same way you used to like Donny?” he teased.

            Ananda smiled.  “I know you a lot better than I’ve ever known Donatello.  I completely understand why Nano is so determined to have you be his family.”

            Mikey leaned towards her.  “I like you too Ananda.  It seems that Nano has really great taste.”

            Ana glanced at Mikey’s mouth and then back into his eyes.  What a beautiful, caring person he was, she realized.  The concept of his being part of her family didn’t seem all that strange.

            Mikey decided he wanted to kiss Ana again.  He knew Nano wanted him too, and Mikey wasn’t all that concerned with what Leo might think.

            Before he could connect action to thought though, his shell cell rang.

            “’Lo,” he said, still staring into Ana’s eyes.

            _“Mikey, I’m in the middle of a situation.  I need all the help you can muster and make it sooner than later, will ya’ bro’?  It’s urgent,”_ Don said.

            Mikey jerked upright, standing almost simultaneously.  “Where are you?”

            _“There’s a note on my desk with the address and directions.  Raptarr’s on his way, but Nobody didn’t wait for backup.  Hurry Mike,”_ Don urged and then the call was disconnected.

            Mikey looked up and found that Leo was standing directly in front of him.

            “I guess you heard that,” Mikey said.

            “I did.  You knew Don was going out alone?  What were you thinking Mikey?” Leo asked.

            “I was thinking that if he needed help he’d call, which is what he did Leo,” Mikey answered.

            The look Leo gave him was less than flattering.  “Let’s just go, we’ll talk about this later,” Leo said as he started for the door.

            “B . . . but your stitches . . . .” Mikey began.

            Leo spun on him.  “This leg has kept me out of the loop on too much of what’s been happening with my family.  It’s time I took the leadership role back and stopped letting others dictate our actions.”

            “Let me bind your leg,” Ana jumped forward before the two brothers could continue their argument.

            “There isn’t time,” Leo told her.

            “It will only take a couple of minutes and then no one will have to worry about you if we get into a fight,” Ana argued.

            “We?” Mikey asked.

            Nano placed a hand on Mikey’s shoulder.  “You did not think to go without us, did you Michelangelo?  We are one now.”

            “Then let’s do this,” Leo said.  “Bind my leg as tight as you can, Ana.  You’re right; I don’t want anyone thinking about me during a battle.”

            “I’ll grab the directions off Don’s desk,” Mikey said and darted off to his brother’s lab.

            Leo walked with Ananda back to the infirmary.  On the way, Leo told her, “You don’t have to go with us Ana.  It could get ugly.”

            “I’ve seen plenty of ‘ugly’ Leonardo.  Don’t worry about me.  Could you hear what Donatello was saying to Mikey?” she asked.

            “No, I could hear Don’s voice and both he and Mikey’s tone.  That alone told me there was trouble,” Leo admitted.

            Settling him on the edge of a cot, Ana swiftly pulled out the bandages she needed and set to work on Leo’s leg.

            “Then you should know that Don was with Nobody,” Ana said.  Leo’s head jerked towards her and she met his eyes.  “Nobody wouldn’t wait for help; he’s gone off by himself.”

            Leo inhaled sharply and suddenly every nerve ending in his body felt like it was electrified.

            “Hurry, Ana.  We need to hurry.”


	66. JF66 Collaboration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 2,688  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: A pair of unlikely allies find that they work together very well.

            In order to avoid potential lookouts, Nobody decided that Donatello and he should go through the rooftop entrance and work their way down to the second floor.

            Don’s expert eye scanned the door quickly, and then he stopped Nobody just as the dark vigilante was about to pick the lock.

            “You’d best let me do this, Nobody.  There’s an alarm,” Don told him.

            With a curt nod, Nobody stepped back and watched Don dig into his duffel bag, producing a small toolkit.  The purple banded ninja manipulated the alarm system with quick, precise movements and then unlocked the door almost effortlessly.

            Moving down a short flight of steps, they came to another locked door.  This too proved to be wired to an alarm system, and once more Don’s expertise was put to use.

            Stepping into a narrow hall, the pair looked around.  Doors which presumably opened into offices lined either side of the corridor.  Before Nobody could advance further, Don’s arm came out to block him.

            “Don’t move,” Don hissed, his voice indicating his tension.

            “Why?” Nobody asked; whispering in response to Donatello’s tone.

            Don once more reached into his bag and produced a small can, which he shook gently and then uncapped.  Spraying the air in front of them, Don showed Nobody the reason for his caution.

            Red lights crisscrossed the entire corridor.

            “Break one and you’ll set off an alarm that’ll give away our presence,” Don said.

            “Shit,” Nobody responded with feeling.  “I never checked on the other tenants.  The only one I was interested in was the occupant of 218.”

            “Looks like they’ve got the entire building,” Don said.  Placing his bag on the ground, he dug into it and pulled out a handful of small mirrors.

            Carefully sliding the first into place, Don redirected the alarm beacon closest to them, and then proceeded down the hall doing the same with the remainder.  Soon their path was clear all the way to the interior stairwell door.

            “I suppose this has an alarm attached to it as well?” Nobody asked.

            “Yep,” Don answered as he disabled it.

            While Don was checking the stairs for traps or alarms, Nobody was thinking how quickly he would have botched this mission if the ninja hadn’t showed up.  He was beginning to understand what it was about the purple banded Turtle that made his brothers lovingly refer to him as ‘genius’.

            He also understood why it was that Don always carried a heavy duffel bag.

            “Donatello, is there anything you don’t have in that bag?” Nobody asked humorously.

            Don grinned.  “Not carrying the kitchen sink this time,” he said.

            “I’m sure it weighs enough without that,” Nobody responded as they descended to the second floor.

            Once again Don stopped him, lifting a hand into the air and indicating a camera mounted above the entrance to the second floor.

            “How are we going to get past that without tipping someone off?” Nobody asked.

            Don set his bag on the floor and once more dipped into it.  When he stood up he had an instant camera in one hand, and a large rubber rat in the other.

            “A pigeon in the stairwell probably wouldn’t be all that believable,” he told Nobody, who was staring at him.  “Never mind,” Don said, “just give me a boost.”

            Nobody laced his fingers together and Don stepped into his hands.  Straddling Nobody’s shoulders, Don carefully draped the rubber rat’s body over the top of the camera so that its face hung down over the lens.

            Adjusting his camera quickly, Don took a snapshot of the hall and door from the same angle as the security camera was tilted.  Checking the print, he nodded in satisfaction and adjusted a clip carefully to the underside of the security camera.  Attaching the picture to it, he removed the rubber rat and jumped down from his perch.

            “Simple, yet effective,” Nobody remarked as Don disabled the alarm attached to the door and opened it just enough to peek through.

            “I don’t see anyone,” Don told Nobody.

            Opening the door a little further allowed Nobody to peer into the hallway.  The area was lit by two small overhead light fixtures, and by the lamps inside the ‘Exit’ signs.  A very faint light could be seen coming from under the door to room 218.

            Don pulled out his spray can and tested the air in the second floor hallway.  No red alarm beacons were active and the pair slid into the corridor, every sense alert to potential danger.

            “Cameras?” Nobody whispered as he searched the hall with his eyes.

            “None that I can see,” Don whispered back, and then slipped further along the corridor, staying close to the wall.

            Nobody quickly sprang across the space so that he could hug the opposite wall as they made their way closer to the target office.

            Don stopped at each door he came to and listened carefully, but heard no sounds coming from within any of them.  None of them were wired with any type of alarm; making Don conclude they were dummy fronts, probably holding nothing more than a desk and chair.

            Room 218 was on Nobody’s side of the hall and just before he reached the door, Don caught his attention with a low hiss.

            Nobody froze, turning his head to Donatello.  Don dashed across to join him, pressing against the wall close to Nobody’s side.

            “There’s a pressure mat hidden under the carpeting,” Don said in a low voice.

            Nobody looked down and vaguely saw the outline of the slightly raised portion of carpeting.

            “Is that a ninja skill, being able to see in the dark?” Nobody asked a little sarcastically.

            “Yes,” Don answered in all seriousness. “Hang on a second.”

            Once more Don’s little bag of tricks was put to good use.  Tracing the miniscule wire that ran from the pressure mat to the door frame, Don quickly snipped the connection with a pair of wire cutters.

            Pressing his ear slit to the door, Don heard no sounds coming from within.

            “Anything?” Nobody asked, tilting his head to listen as well.

            “No, but let’s not chance it,” Don whispered.  From his duffel he extracted a miniature snake camera and threaded it under the door.  Attaching the end to a small monitor, Don flicked on the power and twisted the wire until he could get a good view of the room.

            After several minutes it was obvious no one was inside, and Don retrieved his equipment.

            “How did they get past us?” Nobody asked.

            Don shrugged.  “Maybe when we were on the roof?  There still might be something in there that’s useful.”

            The Turtle looked at Nobody, waiting for a decision.  Nobody realized that Don was the answer guy, but not the type of Turtle to make the plans.  That job belonged to Nobody.

            “Let’s go in and find out,” Nobody said.

            With a nod, Don stood up and disabled the alarm connection and then quickly jimmied the lock.

            Nobody went through the open door first, coming in low to provide the smallest target possible.  Don moved in right behind him, bo staff in his hands.

            The room was indeed empty.  A lamp sat on the floor in a corner of the room and provided the light they’d seen from across the street.

            Papers were strewn about the floor and a four-drawer filing cabinet against a wall was standing open and empty.  Nobody gathered up a few of the papers and glanced at them.  They were printouts with notes scribbled in the margins, all in some sort of code.

            Don’s grunt caught his attention and he turned to find the Turtle standing in front of the only table in the room.  A laptop computer sat open on the table and Don’s fingers swarmed over the keypad, bringing the computer to life.  The password screen blinked at him, as though daring him to find a way inside to look at its secrets.

            “Think you can decode that?” Nobody asked, walking over to stand next to Don.

            “Do turtles have shells?” Don replied, grinning hugely.  “I’ll find out what’s on this thing easily enough.  I just wonder why they left it here.  Could be they’ve wiped out the hard drive.”

            “Then it won’t do us much good,” Nobody said.

            Don chuckled.  “There’s wiping out the hard drive and then there’s deleting the files, Nobody.  If all they’ve done is delete the files on the drive, I can recover that information.”  His fingers worked the keyboard again and he said, “Let’s see how smart these guys are.”

            While Don worked on the computer, Nobody returned to exploring the office.  He found a door that led to a small lavatory; devoid of anything other than the normal accoutrements.  Leaving that space, he meticulously examined the walls, letting his fingers explore any cracks or crevices he came across.

            Nobody halfway expected to find a wall safe; what he didn’t expect to find was a hidden door.

            The door was so expertly installed that Nobody discovered it only because his fingers brushed across the slight separation between it and the wall.  Tracing the faint line told him the dimensions meant he’d found another exit from the room.

            Just as he turned to call Donatello’s attention to his find, the door began to slide open.

            Nobody twisted back quickly, pressing himself into a shadowed corner.  Don, engrossed in the computer, didn’t hear the faint sound the door made as it slid soundlessly on a well-oiled track.

            A man stepped into the room and immediately saw the Turtle standing with his back turned towards the door.  He reached for the gun in his waistband and Nobody attacked.

            A low groan and the following thump brought Donatello’s head around.  He saw Nobody standing over an unconscious man.

            “Ninja eyes but not ninja hearing?” Nobody asked, pulling the man’s belt off in order to secure the thugs hands behind his back.

            Don’s grin was sheepish.  “I tend to get distracted when I’m working on tech things.  Sorry.”

            “No sweat,” Nobody said as he grabbed the man’s shirt collar and tugged him into the lavatory.  Rolling the unconscious body into the tub, Nobody ripped apart a towel to bind his legs tightly, and then joined Don.

            The ninja was examining the sliding panel and trying to see into the black abyss on the other side.  All that was visible was the top few stairs of a staircase leading downwards.

            “Think it goes to the first floor?” Don asked.

            Nobody shook his head.  “Don’t know.  Only one way to find out.”

            “Hang on, I’ll stuff the laptop into my bag,” Don said, turning back to the table.

            That’s when Nobody noticed wires along the inside walls of the hidden staircase.  Pulling his small flashlight from his belt, he traced the wires upwards and saw what they were attached to.

            “Don,” he called in a low voice, hoarse with tension.

            Don heard the stress in Nobody’s tone and spun on his heel.

            “What is it?” he asked quickly.

            Nobody stepped back and looked at him.  “Plastic explosives.”

            Don’s eyes widened.  He watched as Nobody played the flashlight along the ceiling of the room they were in.  The light found blocks of C4 attached to three corners of the room, detonators intact and wires running through a small hole in the wall which presumably led into the room next door.

            “Shell!” Don breathed out sharply.

            Nobody strode out into the corridor, followed by Don.  Deactivating the alarm on the door to room 216, Don checked it carefully before opening it and stepping inside.

            A heavy metal case sat on the floor.  Numerous wires ran into it from several points in the room.

            Don knelt next to the box and examined it without touching anything.  His eyes then followed the wires, noting how they had been fed into the room through holes in the ceiling.

            “Is it a timer?” Nobody asked.

            “Yep,” Don said in his characteristic unassuming way.  “From the looks of things, I’d say they’re planning to level this entire building.”

            “What the hell for?” Nobody wondered aloud.

            Don merely shrugged, his mind elsewhere as he studied the closure on the metal box.  Delving into his bag, he extracted a tool and carefully pried the top open.

            “Okay, I can disable this,” Don announced.  “It’ll take me a few minutes, but the timer’s set for twenty, so no sweat.”

            “Twenty minutes is too much time if they’ve already vacated the premises,” Nobody said.  “They have to be in the building still, and whatever they’re trying to hide is probably here as well.  I’m going after them before they get away with the evidence.”

            Don jumped up and caught Nobody’s arm as he started for the door.  “Whoa, you aren’t going by yourself.”

            Nobody shook Don’s hand loose.  “There isn’t any time to argue the point, Donatello.  You need to stop that bomb from going off, and I need to stop these criminals before they’re gone for good.”

            “You’re taking too big a risk,” Don said to him as Nobody crossed to the door.

            Nobody stopped in the doorway and looked back.  “I have my phone.  Should something happen, I’ll call you.  If you don’t hear from me in fifteen minutes, that will mean I can’t call for some reason.  Don’t call me; I don’t need even the buzz of the phone on vibrate to give me away.”

            “I’m coming after you as soon as I diffuse this bomb,” Don said with determination.

            “You are not,” Nobody told him decisively.  “You’re the only other person to know our whereabouts.  If you don’t hear from me, call for help.”

            Don conceded his point grudgingly.  “If I don’t hear anything, I’m going to call Leo,” Don told him.

            Nobody blinked behind his mask, his gut clenching at hearing the name of his beloved.

            “Donatello, if something happens to me . . . .” he began.

            “Stop it,” Don said, “nothing is going to happen to you.”

            Nobody lifted a hand to stop the Turtle.  “Hear me out.  Humor me.  If something happens to me, tell Leonardo that I love him.”

            “All right, I will.  But nothing is going to happen to you.” Don stressed again.

            “Of course it won’t,” Nobody said.

            Don nodded and watched Nobody disappear from sight.  Turning back to the timer, he saw that four minutes had ticked off.

            Knowing he had time, Don fished his shell cell out of his belt and stepped over to the window.  He wasn’t going to wait to call for backup.

            _“Donatello?”_ Raptarr’s answer was a question, not expecting to hear from his lover so soon.

            “Raptarr, Nobody and I ran into a situation.  I need your help.  Nobody has gone off by himself and I have a bomb to diffuse,” Don quickly explained.

            _“Tell me where you are, I am on my way now,”_ Raptarr told him breathlessly.

            Don gave him the directions for finding the building.  “I’m going to call my brothers too.  I have a bad feeling about this.”

            The Turtle heard the rush of wind through the phone, telling him Raptarr was already airborne.  _“Do that.  In the meantime, don’t take any chances.  Get out of that building and don’t go after Nobody.”_

            “As soon as I put this timer out of commission, I’ll go back up to the roof and wait for you,” Don said.

            _“I’ll look for you.  Please be careful Don.  I love you,”_ Raptarr said with feeling.

            “I love you too Raptarr.  You be careful as well,” Don said before hanging up.

            He quickly called Mikey and told him where to find directions that would bring the other Turtles to the building.  That done, Don turned back to the timer and set to work diffusing it.

            Don wasn’t worried about his ability to stop the timer from detonating the C4 scattered throughout the building.  He was worried about Nobody.  Whoever had wired the building appeared determined that the entire structure disintegrate, judging from the amount of explosive that had been used.

            People who were that desperate wouldn’t hesitate to kill.


	67. JF67 Utopia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 2,554  
> Rated: NC-17  
> Summary: Raphael needs to unburden himself and Tsunami may be the only one with the power to help him do so.

            “This is my sanctuary,” Raph said into the quiet night sky.

            Tsunami turned his head so he could watch his lover’s face.  They were lying side by side on the sandy beach of Coney Island.

            Raph didn’t look at Tsunami while he spoke.  It almost seemed he was addressing the stars overhead.

            “Ya’ wondered why I came all the way out here didn’t ya’?” Raph explained.  “I come here ta hang out ‘cause this is where families go ta be together.  Normal people.  People with kids and jobs and. . . _hope_.”

            Tsunami frowned slightly.  “Raphael, is this why you were fighting that gang?  To keep your sanctuary clean?”

            Raph shrugged.  “Maybe.  Yeah.  Gotta be one place where people don’t have ta worry about being molested by scum.”

            “Someplace where you can see that you’ve made a difference?” Tsunami asked.

            “Something like that,” Raph said.  “I got a little place, under the boardwalk.  Concealed.  I can watch the parents play with their kids; see the teenagers hanging out with their friends.”  He chuckled and added, “Get ta watch them making out sometimes.  At night, used ta be people would bring a picnic dinner – ya’ know, couples.  Saw a guy propose ta his girl out here one night.”

            Tsunami heard him sigh and wondered if this was anything Raph had ever told his brothers.  He rather doubted it.

            “Do you come out here to borrow some of their hope?  To feel like the things you want are attainable?” Tsunami asked him.

            “Ya’ better not be making fun of me,” Raph growled without rancor.

            “I’m not,” Tsunami told him.  “I’m trying to understand you.  Facing that gang while you were alone was not well thought out.  Watching as someone came very near to killing you was extremely painful to me.”

            Raph turned his head finally and looked into Tsunami’s eyes.  They were so blue; like his skin and hair.  The pointed ears, the widows peak and the perpetually sardonic look made the mutant a good candidate to be cast as the villain in a crime novel.

            Unless you looked into his eyes.  They had depth and emotion.  There was something else as well, something about the way he looked at Raphael that lit a fire in the Turtle’s gut.

            It told Hamato Raphael that someone cared about what he had to say and that someone cared about how he felt.  Someone who was good, decent and righteous.

            The kind of person Raph had given up hoping for.

            “Ya’ gonna start getting mushy on me, Tsu?” Raph asked with a grin.

            “It’s possible,” Tsunami said, a corner of his mouth lifting as well.  “That should keep you guessing about me anyway.”

            Raph rolled onto his side and flattened his palm on Tsunami’s taut stomach.  “Yeah, seems I’m still finding out just exactly what you’re capable of.  Ya’ looked like bloody vengeance when ya’ rode your water slide into that gang.”

            “Now you are making fun of me,” Tsunami said with a laugh.

            “Nah.”  Raph was watching his hand make slow circles on Tsunami’s skin.  “I kind of like that fierce ‘I ain’t playing around’ look ya’ get sometimes.  You’re all focused and intense; makes me wanna shove ya’ up against the nearest wall and take ya’.”

            “Or into the dirt of a tunnel, on a sandy beach or the gravel on a rooftop?” Tsunami chuckled.  He could feel his pelvis start to warm up as Raphael’s hand slowly moved lower.

            “Ya’ want predictable, you’re with the wrong guy,” Raph said, leaning in to nip at Tsunami’s ear.

            “I guess we know I don’t want predictable then,” Tsunami responded as his cock twitched to life.

            “What do ya’ want, Tsu?” Raph asked, his face suddenly serious.  “Did ya’ mean that stuff ya’ said ta’ me about me being with ya’ _and_ with my bro’s?  Or was that just heat of the moment talk?”

            “I never say anything I don’t mean,” Tsunami informed him.  Lifting a hand, he slid the backs of his fingers down Raphael’s cheek.  “If you want conventional, you’re with the wrong guy.”

            Raph laughed.  “I guess we know I don’t want conventional then.”  He lowered his mouth to Tsunami’s and met the blue mutants tongue halfway. 

            After several minutes, Raph shifted closer, pressing one of his legs between Tsunami’s.  His wandering hand found its target and he closed his three strong fingers around the blue mutants growing erection.

            Breaking their kiss, Tsunami whispered in a husky voice, “You do know we’re still close to water, don’t you Raphael?  You shouldn’t get too comfortable on top of me.”

            Raph lifted his lower plastron onto Tsunami’s thigh and caught one of the mutants hands in his free one, entwining their fingers and pressing their joined hands into the sand.

            “How much ya’ wanna bet I can get it into ya’ before ya’ call some water over here?” Raph challenged, squeezing the blue cock in his hand and making its owner groan.

            “You’re betting I won’t try to regain control once you’ve started fucking me?” Tsunami asked, quirking an eyebrow.

            Raph’s mouth was close to his as he said, “That’s exactly what I’m tellin’ ya’.”

            Tsunami felt Raph’s cock drop down from its hideaway and press into his thigh.  His lower body quivered in anticipation, and he realized he wanted Raph inside of him.

            He didn’t need for Raph to know that.  “If I take that dare it means I get no preparation,” Tsunami said.

            “Ya’ turning chicken on me, Tsu?” Raph asked, playing the tips of his fingers across the head of Tsunami’s weeping dick.

            Tsunami’s retort was cut off by his gasp as Raph’s slick finger slid into his ass.  He arched his back as the thick green digit delved deeply into him, pulling out and then pushing back in again with greater force.

            Raph’s face was inches from Tsunami’s as he watched the change in his lover’s facial expressions.  When Raph hit Tsunami’s prostate, the water sprite’s eyes flickered then shut as he jerked and moaned.

            Shifting further, Raph got his entire body between Tsunami’s thighs as he pushed harder and faster with his finger.  Tsunami’s cock bobbed with the movement of his body as he lifted his hips to push back against Raph, silently asking for more.

            Raph’s finger popped out suddenly and Tsunami’s eyes flew open, knowing a split second before it happened what was coming next.

            With no further preliminaries, Raph shoved into Tsunami; a quick, hard thrust meant to embed his entire cock into the man beneath him.

            Tsunami groaned and bit his lip at the sudden pain.  Rather than move, Raph rolled his hips, grinding his cock into Tsunami’s ass as far as it would go.

            “Raphael,” Tsunami somehow gasped out, driven to near madness at the overwhelming feeling of that huge, thick green cock buried inside of him.

            Raph pulled back and then snapped his hips forward, the power of his lunge sliding Tsunami’s body across the sand.  Releasing his hold on Tsunami’s hand, Raph grabbed the blue mutant’s hips and held him in place as he began to drive into the body under him.

            Tsunami’s legs lifted and his ankles crossed behind Raph’s carapace, further bracing himself.  One of his hands snaked down to grab his own neglected cock and pump it in time to Raph’s thrusts.

            Raph’s gold eyes glittered as he looked down.  “Ya’ wanna play with your precious water some more?  Call it; I wanna see ya’ jack yourself with it, like ya’ done ta me.”

            “W…why?” Tsunami barely managed to stutter as Raph’s cock slammed into his prostate.

            “’Cause I wanna watch,” Raph said, punctuating his request with a hard shove that made Tsunami cry out.  “Do it.”

            Tsunami lifted a finger and a thick spike of water lifted from the ocean.  Tumbling across the sand, it slipped over Tsunami’s stomach and enveloped his dick.

            Pulling his hand away, Tsunami pressed the back of his head into the sand as the water ring on his cock tightened and began to roll up and down.

            Eyes filled with lust, Raph panted and thrust harder, his churrs loud as he watched the water pull his lover towards his climax.

            Not to be outdone, Tsunami flicked his fingers once more and drove a thick tendril of water into Raph’s ass.

            “Shell!” Raph yelped as he felt the water immediately slam into his prostate.

            “You aren’t g…going to have it all your o…own way,” Tsunami ground out, feeling himself drawing close to completion.

            Every nerve in Raph’s body began to sing as he pounded into Tsunami, his body losing all rhythm as he was driven to the edge by his lover’s tight core and the roiling water fucking him.

            Tsunami’s toes curled, his heels digging into the sand as he finally lost himself to his pleasure.  With a jerk, he came violently, thrashing about as the water he controlled milked him dry.

            Raph’s eyes narrowed as he watched Tsunami twitch and mewl.  Breathing hard, he concentrated on the knot that was pushing through his groin and building in intensity.

            With a loud cry, Raph came, he seed splashing into Tsunami in a scorching rush.

            For a few ecstatic minutes, Raph rode the wave of his orgasm.  Tsunami’s chest was rising and falling rapidly; sucking in oxygen to replenish his overworked lungs.

            Shuddering, Raph lowered his chin to his chest and placed his hands flat on the sand on either side of his lover’s body.  Raph shook as he too worked to control his breathing.

            Tsunami sent the borrowed water back to the ocean with a wave of his pinky, the only part of his body that was willing to move.  Eyes closed, Tsunami shivered through a miniature orgasmic aftershock.

            Raph chuckled and Tsunami opened his eyes to look up at him. 

            “Maybe next time we can manage ta make it ta a bed,” Raph said with a mischievous smile.

            “What would be the fun of that?” Tsunami countered.  “Besides, you’re just trying to think of someplace where there isn’t any water.”

            “I’m a ninja,” Raph reminded him, pulling out and flopping onto his carapace next to his lover.  “We try to fight anyplace that gives us the advantage.”

            “Your fight with that gang was not in an advantageous location,” Tsunami pointed out, unable to fully release the scare Raph had given him.

            Raph’s voice was low when he said, “I know.”

            Rolling over and raising himself on an elbow, Tsunami looked into Raph’s face.  “I was sure when you left me that you had some plan for pulling your brother’s attention back to you.  Did you?  Or were you simply trying to put an end to your pain?”

            Raph forced himself to meet Tsunami’s eyes, determined for once in his life to say what he was feeling rather than simply reacting.

            “A little of both,” Raph said with a grimace.  “I wanted to do so much damage they couldn’t help but hear about it.  I wanted them ta come after me.  Didn’t much care if I lived through it or not Tsu, I just wanted ta know if they still cared about me.”

            “Your brothers love you deeply Raphael.  They always will.  I stopped them from coming here because they were planning to follow just as you hoped they would.”

            Raph sat up to stare at Tsunami.  “You stopped them?”

            Tsunami nodded, his cocky grin returning.  “Of course.  You did tell me I could continue to pursue you, if you’ll remember.  Giving up is not something I do.”

            “So I noticed,” Raph said with a sigh.  “Ya’ said ya’ talked ta one of my brothers.  Who?”

            “Donatello.  He helped me track you after I planted this on you.”  Dipping his finger quickly into Raph’s belt, he withdrew the tracking beacon.

            “Why you sneaky son of a bitch,” Raph growled, and then started laughing.  “Fuck, I should have expected something like that from ya’.”

            “People do tend to underestimate me,” Tsunami said modestly.

            “I ain’t going ta do that anymore, I can promise ya’ that,” Raph said.  Clearing his throat, he asked, “So what did Donny say?”

            Tsunami lifted both eyebrows as he answered, “He seems to have guessed that I have feelings for you, though I acknowledged nothing.  That is for you to tell your family, or not, as you see fit.  Donatello was extremely concerned about your well-being and that of your brother Leonardo.  He is apparently suffering greatly over your disappearance.”

            Raph rubbed his fingertips across his forehead.  “Yeah.  I’m starting ta feel like shit over that.  I didn’t understand until now what he was trying ta tell me.  About being able to keep loving me even if he was falling for someone else.”

            Tsunami smiled hugely.  “Are you falling for me, Raphael?”

            “Shut up,” Raph snapped at him good-humoredly.  “I swear Tsunami, if ya’ act all goofy over me in public I’m gonna use the top of your head ta clean the toilet.”

            Laughing, Tsunami said, “Now there’s the Raphael I know and adore.”

            “Yeah?  Well, fuck ya’,” Raph replied with a grin.

            “Let me recuperate a bit first,” Tsunami retorted.

            Before Raph could deliver his snappy comeback, Tsunami’s communicator beeped.

            With a frown, Tsunami flipped over and grabbed his body suit, digging until he found the small device.  Glancing at it, he saw that the call was coming from Raptarr.

            “Yes?” he answered.

            _“Tsunami, did you locate Raphael?”_   It was Donatello’s voice.

            Tsunami glanced at Raph, who crawled closer so he could hear.

            “Yeah, Donny, he found me,” Raph said.  “Don’t worry, I ain’t doing anything stupid.  I’ll be home pretty soon.”

            _“Actually, I need you guys to meet me somewhere else.  That office building your captives told you about?  I’m here with Nobody and Raptarr.  Nobody went inside alone and the building is wired to explode.”_

            “Shit!”  Raph yelled.  “Get the fuck away from there Donny!”

            _“Calm down.  I diffused the bomb, at least the one I found.  There could be more.  Raptarr just went after Nobody, and Leo and Mikey are on the way.  We need you guys.  Do you remember the address?”_

            “I do,” Tsunami said.

            _“Then come as fast as you can,”_ Donatello told them.

            Raph grabbed the communicator as Tsunami leaped to his feet and began pulling on his body suit.

            “Don, ya’  get away from there.  Go down the street or something.  I already thought I lost ya’ once, I don’t wanna go through that again,” Raph urged him.

            _“I’m not leaving without Raptarr,”_ Don said stubbornly.

            When Don got that tone in his voice, Raph knew arguing with him was a lost cause.

            “Then promise ya’ won’t go after them until your backup arrives.  Can ya’ do that for me?” Raph asked.

            _“I’ll wait,”_ Don said.  _“Hurry.”_

            When the call disconnected, Raph spun around to look at Tsunami.

            “My way back ain’t all that fast,” he said.

            Tsunami nodded, his eyes darkening slightly as he lifted his hands towards the water.

            “That’s all right, Raph.  I can provide both of us with some extremely fast transportation.”

            A wall of ocean water rose into the air, flattened and dipped towards them.  Raph stared at it with both trepidation and excitement.

            Stepping on top of the wave, Tsunami held his hand out to Raph.

            “Come ride with me.”


	68. JF68 Defiance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 2,639  
> Rated: R  
> Summary: Nobody finds the answers to some of his questions about cyanide laced bullets. Is he going to have to die for his curiosity?

            Nobody hesitated at the top of the stairs.  He was listening for sounds from below to give him some clue as to what he might find there, but he was also reviewing his options.

            Once more he came to the conclusion that he hadn’t any.  Donatello would stop the bombs from exploding; Nobody had no doubts about that.  His current worry was that if these criminals escaped now he’d never find them again.

            Going down those stairs meant ending this deadly chase, right here, right now.  Nobody started down.

            He kept his body close to the wall, careful not to step directly on the center of any tread for fear an errant creak would give away his position.  Nobody counted the stairs as he descended.  At twenty he saw that the stairs continued downwards with no break, meaning they bypassed the first floor.  It seemed his clue was taking him to either the basement or the sub-basement.

            The stairwell was narrow and dimly lit, but Nobody kept an eye out for cameras despite that fact.  His silent descent didn’t need to be spoiled by his getting caught in a candid camera moment.

            Thirty stairs took him to the basement level.  There was a door on the right hand side of the stairs and the stairs themselves jogged to the left, continuing downwards.

            Nobody examined the door with his eyes.  Thanks to Don’s tutoring, he could now easily spot the security alarm attachment.  But he also spotted a cobweb built along one edge of the door handle.  Filled with dead insect carcasses, it told him the door hadn’t been opened in a long while.

            Moving back against the wall, Nobody started down the stairs towards the sub-basement.

            The stairs ended at a door.  A large metal door set in a solid metal frame.

            Nobody halted on the fourth step from the bottom and examined every inch of the door and the floor surrounding it.  His eyes crawled up the walls and to the ceiling overhead.

            He wasn’t surprised to see several blocks of C4 attached to the ceiling.  Nobody was somewhat surprised to find nothing more than a security encoded keypad between him and what lay on the other side of that metal door.

            To be on the safe side, he pulled out the spray can Don had given him and lightly misted the air around and in front of him.  There were no red tracers to be seen.

            Confidently stepping up to the keypad, Nobody gave it the once over, even stooping to look beneath it.  Then he dipped into a hidden pocket in his cape and extracted a small dusting kit.

            Lightly pressing the small brush into a brownish powder, Nobody tapped the excess across the keypad and then gently stroked the tip of the brush across the keys.  Leaning down, he used the softest of breaths to blow over the keypad.

            Leaning back he could see the marks left by fingerprints and he then knew which keys were part of the combination.

            Further scrutiny showed how some of the finger marks slid upwards, some down and some to the side.  The directionality of the prints indicated the order in which the keys needed to be depressed.

            Taking a deep breath, Nobody punched in the code.  Within seconds a series of clicks and the hiss of trapped air told him he had guessed correctly.

            Nobody didn’t step through immediately, instead opting to listen intently for several minutes.  All he could hear was a low whistling sound.

            Pushing the door open slowly, Nobody peered inside and then stepped through the opening.  He was in a boiler room; water and steam pipes lined the walls on either side of the long, narrow space.

            There was another door on the far end and Nobody made his way over to it.  This was a plain wooden door with no alarms or security attachments that Nobody could find.  Pressing his ear against it, he could hear muffled thumps and the occasional curse.

            Trying the doorknob, Nobody found that the door was not locked and he carefully pulled the door inwards.

            The sub-basement was a huge open space which was currently filled with crates of all shapes and sizes.  Men were rushing about, carrying smaller boxes or loading larger crates onto pallet trucks.  They appeared to be moving out.

            Taking a chance, he darted through the open door and into the room, settling on one knee behind a large crate.  Some of the nearby boxes hadn’t as yet been sealed, and Nobody glanced around quickly to make sure no one was nearby.  Confident he would go unnoticed; Nobody crept over to a row of open boxes.

            The first held small cartons of cyanide tipped bullets, like those found in the warehouse that had been destroyed.  Unsurprised by that discovery, Nobody moved over to peer inside the second box.

            This one contained guns.  Nobody reached in and grabbed one, turning it over in his hands as he examined it.  It was a machine pistol, converted to be fully automatic; very lethal and very illegal.

            Placing the weapon back into the box, Nobody crab walked to the next box in the line.  He found in it what he half expected to find; silencers.

            Nobody looked up at the ceiling and saw the blocks of C4 nestled against the overhead rafters.

            What he’d just discovered explained why the gang had taken such a big chance and returned to office 218.  They wanted to recover their investment and then blow up any trace elements of the operation that might be left behind.

            It was time to get back to his partner and call for assistance before Don got worried enough to follow Nobody.

            He actually made it half way to the door.

*********************

            Mikey was driving the truck as fast as he dared through the city streets.  Nano sat next to him, navigating the shortest route to the building where Don was waiting for them.

            Ana sat in the back with Leo.  Every so often she would glance over at him but didn’t attempt to engage him in conversation.  She wasn’t sure he’d have heard her anyway.

            Leo was looking out of the window, deep in thought.  He had tried telling himself that his growing anxiety was for Donatello alone; that and a fair amount of anger with the purple banded Turtle.  Don should have known better than to go out on his own and mix into Nobody’s business.

            Trying to pretend he didn’t know exactly what Don had attempted to do had lasted about five minutes.  The older brother accepted the fact that Don was trying to patch up the rift between Leo and Nobody.  Leo really should have anticipated that Don would do something like that.

            Leo should also be able to stop thinking about Nobody.  A decision had been made and both parties had agreed to it.  There was no profit in playing with the edges of that particular string; Leo’s brothers came first, end of story, no more debate.

            His inability to control his own mind was vexing.  Whatever primal urges he’d felt for Nobody could not be allowed to be the master of him.  Leo had to be better than his personal needs.

            The loud voice in his head was so sudden it made Leo jerk in his seat.  Pressing a hand to his forehead, Leo turned from the window so his eyes could dart around the inside of the truck.

            No one was looking at him.  Surely he wasn’t so worried as to begin imagining things.

            “ _Leo_!” the mental shout hit him hard, driving his carapace into the seat back.

            “Where are we?” Leo demanded, nearly ripping his seatbelt out while trying to remove it.

            “Damn Leo,” Mikey yelped, completely taken by surprise.  “We’re nearly there.  Sit down dude, before you fall.”

            “Go faster Mikey,” Leo told him, standing behind Mikey and gripping the back of the driver’s seat.  “You need to go faster.”

            Mikey didn’t ask any questions, he just pressed down on the gas pedal.

            Through the front windshield Leo watched as the city rushed past them.  His mind was occupied with something else.

            Calling out silently, Leo said, _“Hold on Nobody.  Hold on, I’m coming.”_

*********************

            Suddenly set upon by dozens of thugs, Nobody put up a valiant fight.

            There were just too many of them and very little room to maneuver.  Blow after blow landed unmercifully, battering his body.  He heard the crack when his nose was broken and the spike of pain in his side told him he had a cracked rib, if not worse.

            Nobody tried to use his wrist line to latch on to one of the ceiling rafters, but before he could fire it something struck his arm hard enough to make it go numb.

            The battle wasn’t one sided; Nobody managed to make sure they knew they’d been in a fight.  He knocked three of them out cold, and broke one man’s wrist.  Two more were rolling on the floor in agony before the overwhelming volume took Nobody to the ground.

            His hands were pulled behind his back and tightly bound.  Nobody continued to struggle until the tip of a knife touched his throat.

            “Walk,” the thug with the knife growled at him.

            A shove from behind pushed him towards the left side of the warehouse.  The knife stayed against his neck as they walked, and he also felt the press of a gun barrel in the small of his back.

            Nobody glanced around as he was forced through the maze of boxes and crates.  He guessed that the value of the contraband inside the sub-basement was somewhere in the millions.

            A small office had been erected in a corner of the space and it had floor to ceiling walls, a viewing window and a solid door.  Just before he was pushed through that door, he saw that all the contraband was being loaded onto small forklifts situated at the mouth of a tunnel.

            Light hit him directly in the eyes as he stepped into the office and he could just make out a desk and chair against one wall.  Movement told him the room had occupants.

            In the center of the room was a heavy chair, secured to the concrete floor with bolts.  His captors shoved him into the chair and proceeded to tie him to it, binding his upper body to the back and his ankles to the chair legs.

            A shiver ran up Nobody’s spine as his eyes played over the floor surrounding the chair.  It was heavily bloodstained and there were small pieces of what appeared to be brain matter scattered about.

            The thugs who’d captured him finished the job of securing him into place and then left the room, pulling the door shut behind them.

            Nobody could hear the rustle of movement from the area where the desk sat and he silently waited.  After a minute or two, the bright light was turned off and Nobody blinked in an attempt to clear the residual light spots from his eyes.

            A dark laugh greeted his ears as two large, burly men stepped within his line of sight.  Neither made a move towards him, they simply stood and stared, both with their fists clenched tightly and held against their sides.

            “Great job getting through all of the alarms and sensors, but you missed one in the boiler room,” the owner of the laugh told him.

            Nobody recognized the voice before the man stepped around to stand in front of him.

            Ruffington.

*********************

            Leo called Don as the truck drew closer to their destination.  Without preliminaries he barked, “Where are you?”

 _“I’m on the roof Leo.  Don’t come around the front, the building is covered with security equipment.  Raptarr just went in to look for Nobody,”_ Don said.

            “You should have made him wait,” Leo told him harshly.

            _“I tried,”_ Don said and his worry came through the phone.  _“He was determined.  Nobody had fifteen minutes to call or come back after he went inside.  I haven’t heard anything in twice that.”_

            Leo ground his teeth together, then finally managed to say, “Stay put.  We’re nearly there.  Don . . . .”

            _“Yeah Leo?”_

            “We’re going to talk later.  About this rash decision of yours to chase after Nobody,” Leo said.

            _“If I hadn’t, no one would know to come to his rescue,”_ Don returned; no trace of contrition in his voice.  The line went dead.

*********************

            “You still work alone, vigilante?” Ruffington asked Nobody.

            “Still selling illegal firearms to children coward?” Nobody retorted.

            Ruffington shot a glance at one of his henchmen.  The man backhanded Nobody across his face.

            “I repeat; are you working alone?  The last time we met you had a pair of costumed freaks helping you out.  Are they here with you?” Ruffington asked.

            The strike to his face made the pain in Nobody’s already broken nose flair again; needle pricks running up and down his nasal passage.  Pain was good, it reminded him he was still alive, and Ruffington’s questions told him they hadn’t discovered Donatello.

            “Your merchandise is deadly Ruffington.  Innocent people are dying.  Haven’t you any morals at all?” Nobody countered with a question of his own.

            Ruffington laughed shortly.  “You want morals?  Become a priest.  I want money and a lot of it.  Morals can’t buy you anything.”

            “How much money is enough Ruffington?  Are you shipping these weapons overseas like the last time, or is this batch meant to stay here and destroy New York?”

            His old adversaries face grew dark at the mention of their last encounter.  “I’m not making a dime off part of this, thanks to your interference.  I have to make up for the shipment you and your side kicks destroyed.  That reminds me, you haven’t answered my question.  Are the little green freaks here?”

            Nobody asked, “How did you get out of jail?  You were convicted of racketeering and sentenced to twenty years.”

            “I have friends,” Ruffington said; waving it away as though buying your way out of prison was no big deal.  “The appeals process is a wheel that’s easily greased.  And I’m tired of your answering every one of my questions with a question.”

            Some unspoken sign must have passed between he and his men, because as Ruffington took a couple of steps back, his goons moved forward and started to beat Nobody mercilessly.

            After a quarter of an hour, Ruffington stopped them.  Most of the blows were to his body; apparently they wanted his mouth in working condition.

            “Where are your friend’s vigilante?” Ruffington asked.

            Nobody’s head was down and he was breathing in short gasps.  His body armor had taken some of the blows, but others found their way past the padding and he could feel the pain of broken ribs.

            Lifting his head slightly, he glared at Ruffington.  “Who are you working with this time?”

            “Again with the questions!” Ruffington shouted in frustration.

            “Oroku Saki’s gone,” Nobody said between panting breaths.  “Is it someone else in his organization?”

            Ruffington turned to one of his goons.  “Get that fucking mask off his face.  I want to see what he looks like before I kill him.”

            The mask was roughly yanked off of Nobody’s head and he raised it in defiance, staring directly into Ruffington’s eyes.

            He was met with a cold look in which there was no recognition.

            “Who the hell are you?” Ruffington asked.

            Nobody snapped.  “You ruin a man’s life and his career and you can’t even remember his face?” he shouted.  “I’m Nobody, you fucking bastard.”

            “Yeah, that’s exactly who you are,” Ruffington acknowledged, nodding at one of his men.

            The man lifted a gun and pressed it to Nobody’s temple.

            “Nobody is who you’ll stay,” Ruffington told him.


	69. JF69 Countdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,784  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Seconds count in a race to capture an arms dealer and stop a bomb from exploding. Watching his lover leap into the center of the action, Don hopes his brothers arrive on time.

                Don reached the roof at about the same moment as Raptarr did.  The timer for the explosives had not been difficult to deactivate; the mechanism itself was simple, professional and deadly, but simple.

            “Donatello,” Raptarr called to him as Don stepped through the rooftop entrance.

            Don looked up as Raptarr swooped down from the sky.  Without another word, the Avian caught the Turtle in his arms, pulling him close and wrapping his wings around Don’s body.

            Returning the embrace, Don buried his face in Raptarr’s neck, momentarily relishing in the scent of his lover before pushing back.

            “I’ve deactivated the timer on the device Nobody and I found,” Don told him.  “I don’t know if there are others, but the building is dangerous either way.  There are bricks of C4 scattered throughout the place.”

            “How long ago did Nobody leave you?” Raptarr asked.

            Stepping out of Raptarr’s embrace, Don set his duffel on the rooftop and said, “About twenty minutes.    He was supposed to call after fifteen and he hasn’t.  That could mean he can’t use the phone for fear of giving himself away, but I’m worried that he hasn’t called because . . . .”

            As Don’s words trailed off, Raptarr nodded.  “Because something has happened to him,” he said, finishing Don’s thought.

            Don took a deep breath.  “Yes.  He was determined to track the people we’ve been chasing.  Nobody refused to wait for backup to arrive because he thought the arms dealers would get away and he’d never find them again.”

            “He is a stubborn man,” Raptarr acknowledged.  “I can’t wait any longer to go after him.  His life may be in danger as we speak, and every second counts.”

            “I called Mikey; I’m sure he’s on his way with Leo and probably Nano.  After I deactivated the bomb’s timer, I called Tsunami and Raph.  They’ll be here at any minute,” Don told him.

            “Then show me where Nobody went,” Raptarr said.

            Don grabbed his bag and darted back through the door, followed by the Avian.  Leading the way down the stairs and across to room 218, Don stopped when he reached the secret doorway.

            Keeping his voice low, Don said, “He went down there.  The interior stairs are lined with bricks of C4 as well.  I think the intent was to completely demolish this building.”

            “I have a bad feeling about this.  I’m going down now to find Nobody,” Raptarr said.

            Don reached out and gripped Raptarr’s arm.  “We should wait for the others or they won’t know where to go.”

            “You go back up to the roof and meet them,” Raptarr told him.  “I’ll try to locate Nobody.”

            “Raptarr, it isn’t safe for you to go alone.  There are alarms scattered all over the place and if you get caught on the stairwell you aren’t going to be able to maneuver because of your wings,” Don protested.

            Raptarr reached over and pressed a palm to Don’s face.  “I won’t take any chances, but I can’t leave a fellow team member in a potentially dangerous situation.”

            Don laughed shakily.  “Shell, they might not even be in the building anymore.  They could easily have left while I was working on that timer and I wouldn’t have seen them.”

            “That’s very probable,” Raptarr agreed.  “If that’s the case, then I need to try to find some kind of trail so I can follow them.  I’ll call you when I find something, okay?”

            Taking a deep breath, Don nodded.  Raptarr stared into his lover’s deep brown eyes for another moment, and then leaned in to press a kiss to Don’s mouth.

            Pulling away, Raptarr started down the stairs.  Don called after him, “Please be careful.”

            “I will,” Raptarr promised.  “Go back to the roof.  If I don’t call, then don’t send anyone else in this way, because it means it’s not safe.  Find another way to get inside.  I’ll leave my tracking beacon on; either Tsunami or Nano should be able to follow it.”

            “I don’t like this,” Don whispered.

            Raptarr shot a smile at him.  “Neither do I.  I love you Donatello.”

            “Oh shell, I love you Raptarr.  Come back in one piece so I can show you how much.”

            Don watched Raptarr disappear down the darkened stairwell, and then he quickly returned to the roof.

******************************************

            “Pull the trigger yourself, you bootlicking cur,” Nobody snarled as the cold ring of a gun’s barrel touched the side of his head.

            Ruffington pressed his hands to his hips and tossed his head back to laugh.  “I never take out my own trash, vigilante.  That’s another reason why I like money; I can pay people to take care of my problems for me.”  He glanced at the man who was holding the gun.  “Get rid of the trash.”

            Before the man could pull the trigger, a loud bell sounded in the office.  Ruffington spun towards his desk with a muttered curse and checked the small viewing monitor sitting there.

            “Shit!  Someone else just entered the boiler room,” Ruffington told them.  Looking up at Nobody, he said, “I guess this answers the question of whether you came alone.”

            Nobody watched as Ruffington strode to the door, yanked it open and called to someone.  Ruffington delivered instructions in a low, terse tone and Nobody strained to hear what was said.  Fragments reached him, “get the men”, “make sure they’re armed” and “shoot if you have to” reached him.

            He watched Ruffington turn back towards him, a satisfied grin on his face.  Nobody hoped like hell Don, or whoever was coming through the boiler room, had seen the alarm and was prepared for a reception committee.

            Ruffington stood and stared at Nobody.  The man holding the gun to Nobody’s head remained poised and ready, waiting coldly for his boss to tell him to go ahead and finish off their captive.

            Muffled sounds of conflict could be heard in the room, and then the single blast of a gunshot.  Nobody tensed; if Donatello had been shot and killed, then the dark man would beg for his own death.  Better that than the horrible guilt he would have to live with, or the look on Leonardo’s face when he found out.

            Ruffington moved back to the doorway and glanced out.  Nobody could tell the man’s nerves were getting the better of him; Ruffington was fidgeting and unable to stay in one spot for very long.

            “Is the money worth living in perpetual fear, Ruffington?” Nobody asked.  “Your new partner isn’t going to let you live long enough to rot in a jail cell this time, is he?”

            “Shut up,” Ruffington snarled.

            Before Nobody could add anything further, voices sounded.  Ruffington stepped aside and waited for his men to shove their captive into the room.

            Nobody’s eyes met Raptarr’s.  The Avian had a gash across his shoulder and the feathers along the apex of his left wing were singed.

            “Fucking great, we’ve got the damn Justice Force on our ass,” Ruffington blurted out.

            One of the men who had captured Raptarr asked, “Boss, what are we gonna do now?  Knocking off one of the Justice Force guys might not be noticed, but offing two of them is gonna bring down a shitload of heat.”

            Ruffington grinned.  “Not if we drop this building on top of them,” he said.  “Tie that one to the wall pipes and make sure you bind his wings up while you’re at it.”

            While he waited for his men to secure the second captive, Ruffington turned back to the man holding the gun to Nobody’s head.

            “Take the gun away.  Save the bullet; these guys don’t deserve to have the fast way out.  We’ll let them enjoy the feeling of a few tons of brick and mortar crashing down on their heads,” Ruffington ordered.

            “Since we’re going to die anyway, satisfy my curiosity and tell me how you’re getting your weapons cache out of the building,” Nobody said.

            “You saw the tunnel,” Ruffington replied, surprising Nobody who hadn’t thought the man would answer.  “I knocked down a wall between this building and the sewer system.  It’s a fine little conduit straight to the docks.”

            “Do you think you will actually get very far?” Raptarr asked, grunting slightly as his wings were pinched by tight rope.

            Ruffington didn’t even look at him, his eyes fixed on Nobody.  “I’ll deliver my shipment as promised this time.  I’ll take my money and I’ll get together another shipment and rake in a tidy profit, which I’ll use to start the cycle over again.  And I’ll drink a toast to you and your friend over there while I’m at it.  Maybe a little Dom Perignon to wash down the caviar; how does that sound?”

            “You’re a pompous ass Ruffington,” Nobody snapped.  “The world doesn’t revolve around you and when you go down, it’s going to be painful.”

            Ruffington laughed.  “Says the man who is about to die.”

            “Who is your partner?” Nobody asked.

            The laugh died in Ruffington’s throat.  “A very large fellow by the name of Hun is who I’ve been working with.  It’s a profitable relationship and one I don’t intend to screw up again.”

            Raptarr watched the verbal play between Nobody and Ruffington.  He had heard his friend speak of this man before and knew something of their history.

            The men who had captured him and then secured him to the water pipes had exited the room, leaving the two Justice Force members alone with their captor and his pair of bodyguards.  Raptarr tested his bonds surreptitiously while Ruffington and his men were focused on Nobody.

            He had flexed his arms and wings and expanded his chest to its fullest while the men were tying him.  Relaxing now, he felt the ropes slacken slightly.  Given time, he would be able to escape the bindings.  Raptarr just wasn’t sure how much time they had.

            Ruffington would find out soon enough that his timer had been deactivated.  When Raptarr had been led through the sub-basement, he’d seen the last of the boxes being hauled out through the tunnel and knew it wouldn’t be long before Ruffington himself fled the building.

            When the explosion didn’t occur, the man would surely come back in with guns in order to finish off Nobody and himself.  Raptarr intended to be free when that happened.

            He also knew that Don and his brothers were probably making their way down to the sub-basement to affect a rescue.  Raptarr was not going to let his lover find him tied up like some helpless hatchling.

            _“Keep stalling him,”_ Raptarr silently urged his teammate while he worked on the ropes that were holding him.  _“Help is on the way.”_


	70. JF70 All Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,882  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: The entire group responds to Don's call for help.

            Mikey wasn’t sure what had gotten into Leonardo, but whatever it was, the urgency of it transferred to him as well.

            His foot on the accelerator, Mikey pushed the truck up to its top speed.  He stopped being concerned about police and simply concentrated on not ramming another vehicle or taking out any pedestrians.

            Leo was still directly behind him, one hand on Mikey’s seat back, the other braced against the roof.  He was staring out of the front windshield with such intense focus that it began to scare Mikey a little.

            If it wasn’t for the fact that he’d just heard Leo talking to Donatello, Mikey would be worried that his oldest brother had sensed that the genius was in trouble.  Since that wasn’t the case, Mikey could only think of one other thing that could be so urgent.

            Somehow Leo had sensed that Nobody was in imminent danger.

            Mikey chanced a glance in the rearview mirror and caught a glimpse of his brother’s face.  Leo’s eyes were narrowed, the amber color near glowing in the darkness of the truck’s interior.

            Mike had seen Leo’s eyes like that only a few times; usually when he was making some sort of mental connection with one of his brothers.  In fact, Leo’s entire demeanor was that of a Turtle driven to protect a loved one.

            The question that had lingered in Mikey’s mind about how deeply Leo felt for Nobody was answered right at that moment.  Nobody had said he was in love with Leo; Leo was obviously in love with Nobody.

            Ananda realized she should probably be frightened by the speed with which they were rocketing through the city streets, but to her surprise she found herself merely excited.

            If someone else were behind the wheel that wouldn’t be the case.  Truth be known, Ana was captivated by Mikey’s driving skills, by his intense concentration, and by the view of the muscles standing out on his arms as he controlled the weight of the truck through turns.

            Inhaling sharply, Ana admitted to herself that she had it bad for Michelangelo.  She cursed her luck that the phone call had interrupted her chance to kiss him again; to _really_ kiss him.  Ana was positive that he’d been about to do just that when his phone rang.

            To confuse her own mind further, Ana had to analyze her feelings about Nano as well.

            The nanobot sat in the seat next to Mikey’s and navigated their route, giving Mikey precise directions as they barreled along at top speeds.  He had turned to look back at Ana a few times and with each glance, Nano offered her a reassuring smile.

            His concern for her amidst the turmoil of their ride left her feeling slightly giddy.  No one had ever shown her that kind of attention.

            Because of her own unique physiological makeup, Ana was capable of communicating through technopathy with Nano.  She didn’t often do so; usually it was only in the heat of a battle that she used her skill, when the two of them needed to relay information back and forth.

            Now she felt his mind touch hers and she unhesitatingly opened up for him.

            _“Ananda, are you all right?”_ he asked her.

            _“Yes, I’m fine,”_ she called back to him.

            _“You will tell me if you become frightened?”_ Nano insisted.

            _“I’m not even close to being frightened, Nano.  I think Mikey is wonderful,”_ Ana told him.

            Nano turned once more in his seat and smiled again.  Ana could feel the blush crawling up her neck.  She had certainly meant to hide her feelings a bit better.

            _“I too consider him to be wonderful,”_ Nano communicated to her.  _“You are also quite wonderful and brave.  You will tell me if you need me?”_

            Ana looked down at her hands and nodded, pulling her mind away from his in embarrassment.  She definitely wasn’t ready for Nano to discover that she was beginning to have feelings for him as well.

            Glancing up at Leo’s stiff form, Ana realized her current thoughts were inappropriate, considering the severity of their situation.  Mike’s oldest brother exuded anxiety from every pore; it was so palpable that they could all feel it.

            Ananda wasn’t close to Nobody; in fact the only Justice Force member who had spent much time with the dark man was Raptarr.  They were both rather silent men, and during a mission they tended towards each other.

            But Nobody was a brother in arms, and he shared with her a fundamental belief in right and wrong.  His enemies were hers and that made the fight they were rushing towards a more personal thing.

            Obviously not as personal as it was to Leonardo.  Ana knew she had it bad for Mikey, and she could tell easily that Leo had it bad for Nobody.

            “Stop when we’re about two blocks from the building, Michelangelo,” Leo instructed in a low voice.

            “Gotcha,” Mikey said.

            In less than five minutes, Nano told Mikey, “I believe we should pull over now.”

            Mikey slowed the truck and whipped it into an alley.  Almost before he could shut off the engine, Leo had exited, leaped onto the truck’s top and then onto a fire escape.

            “Damn Leo, wait for us!” Mikey called.

            “Move it, Mikey,” Leo said in response, his body disappearing over the roof’s ledge.

            Mikey spun on his heel to look at Nano and Ananda.  “Ana, maybe you should wait here.  You don’t have your Domebot and we’re gonna be leaping from building to building.”

            Ana started to protest, but before she had the chance, Nano put an arm around her waist and said, “She does not need the Domebot, I will carry her.”

            As he bounded upwards, Ana gave a low cry and flung her arms around his neck.  Mikey was right behind them.

            They had crossed two rooftops when Ananda loosened her death grip on Nano and started to look around.  Just as with the wild truck ride, Ana found herself enjoying the new thrill of being carried by Nano.

            Don was waiting for them when they reached the target building.  He appeared to be as anxious as Leonardo was, pacing back and forth across the roof as he watched for his backup.

            “Leo!  You shouldn’t be putting so much stress on those stitches,” Don fussed when his older brother arrived.

            “My leg is fine, Don.  Ananda bound it up tightly,” Leo assured him.  “How long exactly has Nobody been gone?”

            “Thirty-seven minutes.  I haven’t heard from Raptarr in seventeen.  He went down a hidden staircase following behind Nobody,” Don said.  “Raptarr told me that if I didn’t hear from him, we should find another way down.”

            Nano set Ananda down lightly and she murmured, “Thank you.”

            “It would be logical for me to follow my fellow Justice Force members,” Nano said as he turned towards the Turtle brothers.  “Whatever human agent has interfered with their mobility, they cannot defend against my collective.  Shooting at me would be just as ineffectual.”

            He watched as Leonardo and Donatello exchanged glances and tried to guess their thoughts from the expressions on their faces.

            “Nano, there are quite a few bricks of C4 dotted throughout the building.  I found a timer for the detonators connected to the C4 that Nobody and I discovered.  The problem is I can’t guarantee that this was the only timer,” Don said.

            “Then it is most imperative that Nobody and Raptarr be found quickly,” Nano insisted.

            “If the explosives are detonated, you’ll be trapped inside,” Leo said.

            Nano felt Mikey step close to him and he turned to give his lover a reassuring glance.

            “I cannot be harmed by falling debris, Leonardo,” Nano said.

            He felt Mikey touch his arm.  “If a fire breaks out because of it, you would be.  I don’t wanna go through that all over again.”

            “Then I will take the same precaution as I did the last time.”  Nano squeezed his right hand into a fist, and then opened it to display a solitary nanobot lying on his palm.

            Turning to Ananda, he offered the nanobot to her.

            “You’ve stored your memories here?” she asked.

            “Yes.  Can you please keep this safe for me?”  Nano watched her face as he asked and saw a hint of color rise in her cheeks.

            “Of course I will.  I . . . I’m just not sure where to put it, um . . . him,” she said, flushing slightly.  “There are no pockets in my uniform.”

            “I’m sure you will think of an answer,” Nano told her, turning the infinitesimal nanobot into her open hand.

            Ana curled her hand around it as an idea came to her.  “Nano, he won’t react adversely to warmth will he?”

            “No, Ananda.  Heat does not cause us harm, only fire and its related forms.”

            “Then you guys excuse me for a minute,” Ana told them, walking a little away from the group and turning her back.

            Nano could see that she was manipulating her costume and the collective reached out to ‘see’ through the eyes of the liberated nanobot.

            Ananda had pulled open the front of her uniform to expose her bra encased breasts.  She pulled back the upper edge of one of the cups, and deposited the nanobot inside.

            The view caused a chain reaction in the collective, and Nano’s entire form suddenly shifted in a response that Nano couldn’t explain.  Somehow it was extremely similar to the feeling his collective experienced whenever he was near Mikey’s heat.

            No one said anything as they waited for Ananda to adjust her costume and return to their circle.

            “Now I can proceed,” Nano said.

            “That still leaves us to find another way in,” Leo said.  “I’m going to make an educated guess that a hidden set of stairs is not just going to take them to the first floor, so they must lead to the basement.  Don, can we get in through the first floor and find a way to the basement quickly?”

            “I can get us past any traps or alarms if that’s what you’re asking,” Don answered.  “But we still face the same problem of having a building topple on our heads.”

            Ananda’s fingertips were pressed to her helmet as she said, “I think I have a solution for that problem.”

            Nano heard them first, and turned to look skyward.  Coming towards the roof were a dozen of Ananda’s Domeoids.

            “Ananda?” Mikey asked.

            “Show me what a brick of C4 looks like,” Ananda said, turning to Donatello, “and I can have the Domeoids search for and remove them from the building.”

            Don’s eyes lit up.  “Actually, all they need to do is remove the detonators from each brick.  C4 can only be exploded by a combination of extreme heat and a shockwave.  Without the detonators, the stuff is fairly harmless.”

            “Then let’s go,” Leo said.  “Don, take Nano to the hidden staircase, and then show Ananda the C4.  Mikey and I will go down to the street and wait for you there.”

            A splashing sound interrupted them, and the group turned to see Tsunami and Raph riding atop a water slide.

            “Ya’ wasn’t thinking about starting the fun without us, were ya’?” Raph asked with a smug grin.


	71. JF71 Dark Determination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,347  
> Rated: R  
> Summary: Nobody is driven by a single minded purpose, almost to the exclusion of everything else.

            “Okay boss, we’re clear!”  A shout through the closed door of Ruffington’s office told him his men had removed all of the illegal contraband.

            Ruffington finished shoving papers into his briefcase and slammed the top down, snapping the locks with a flourish as he stared across the room at Nobody.

            “It appears it’s time for me to say good riddance dark vigilante,” Ruffington told him as he made his way to the door.  “I hope you won’t think badly of me for not sticking around to enjoy watching you draw your last, gasping breath.  At least you aren’t going to die alone; you have a pal to follow you into the great beyond.”

            Nobody leaned forward, following Ruffington’s movements with his eyes.  He was particularly interested in the briefcase his adversary clutched with such care.

            “Off to meet Hun now?  Going to deliver his shipment and get him off of your ass?” Nobody asked, trying to stall Ruffington.

            The dark man knew that it was probably only a matter of minutes before Donatello and his brothers arrived, more than likely bringing with them some contingent of the Justice Force.  Nobody wanted to get his hands on Ruffington so badly every nerve in his body jumped with eagerness.

            Ruffington paused in the doorway and looked back over his shoulder at Nobody.  “Since dead men tell no tales, then I guess it won’t hurt me any to tell you yes.  I’m going to get this little chore over with and take myself a mini vacation.  I’d say I would think about you while I’m sitting back soaking up some sun, but that would be a lie.”

            He strode out of the door, followed quickly by his bodyguards.

            “Dammit,” Nobody cursed lowly, struggling against his bonds.  “I’m guessing Donatello has additional help on its way?” he asked Raptarr.

            “Yes,” the Avian replied as he wiggled a wrist free, and then slid the entire arm loose.

            With that arm out of the tight bindings, the ropes holding Raptarr loosened further and the restraints on his upper body fell away.

            “Hold on, my friend,” Raptarr called to Nobody as he carefully worked the ropes off of his wings.

            Nobody heard the sound of the ropes hitting the floor and turned his head to see Raptarr cutting his legs free with the small knife he kept hidden in his belt.

            Raptarr leaped across the room and began slicing the ropes that held Nobody.  The dark man pulled against the bindings impatiently, and then hissed as his broken ribs sent a sharp stabbing pain through his system.

            “How badly are you hurt?” Raptarr asked as he kneeled to cut the ropes that held Nobody’s ankles to the chairs legs.

            “Broken rib or two,” Nobody said.  “Nothing I haven’t dealt with before.”

            Raptarr released one of Nobody’s legs and moved to the next.  He had nearly severed the rope when the office door was suddenly yanked open.

            Raptarr leaped into a defensive posture, his wings expanding in the small room when a familiar voice stopped him.

            “I am most pleased to find that the two of you are not dead,” Nano said with just the slightest touch of humor in his voice.

            Grinning, Raptarr relaxed and leaned down to finish cutting Nobody’s ankle free.

            “I see Michelangelo’s sense of humor is rubbing off on you,” Raptarr told Nano.

            The second his leg was free, Nobody darted for the door.  “I’m going after Ruffington,” he said gruffly, brushing past Nano.

            The other two Justice Force members rushed to catch up to him.

            “Not alone,” Raptarr called out.

            “I haven’t time to argue the point,” Nobody tossed back.  “Don’t slow me down.”

            He leaped over a broken crate as he ran at breakneck speed for the tunnel entrance which led into the sewers.  Busted boxes and empty crates were scattered throughout the space; indicators of the great hurry Ruffington had been in to vacate the premises.

            Dodging around a stack of broken lumber, Nobody came to an abrupt halt.

            The tunnel was completely blocked by the bucket of a large front end loader.

            “Fuck,” Nobody hissed under his breath.

            Nobody jumped into the bucket and pulled himself up to the top rim.  Peering through the small space that opened into the sewers, he could just see a light fading into the distance.

            Dropping back down, he turned to see Raptarr looking through another small opening, and Nano studying the metal bucket.

            “I’m going back up to the street.  I’ll use one of the sewer entrances to drop back down and follow them,” Nobody said.

            “Not without us,” Raptarr insisted for a second time.

            Nobody was already moving.  “I work best alone,” he said, his emotion deepening his voice.

            “Not today,” another voice intervened.

            Whipping his head around, Nobody saw Leonardo.

            The pair stared at each other for a long moment.  Nobody realized that Leo had brought his brothers with him, and they had been joined by other members of the Justice Force.  But for Nobody, the only one he truly saw was Leo.

            Heart racing, Nobody took a step towards the blue banded ninja before remembering where they were.  Throat tight, Nobody fought down the emotions that were trying to overwhelm him and he struggled to focus on the matter at hand.

            “Ruffington’s behind the manufacture of those bullets,” Nobody told Leo.

            Leo looked surprised.  “But you put him away.  How did he get out of jail?”

            Nobody laughed humorlessly.  “Money.  Now he’s on his way to making a hell of a lot more and killing thousands of people in the process if I don’t catch him.”

            “If _we_ don’t catch him,” Leo said with a determined look.

            Leo saw the stubborn expression on Nobody’s face along with the marks left by the beating he had received.  Nobody’s nose was bent to the side, dried blood on his upper lip and chin.  For a moment, Leo found it painful to breathe, wishing he could have been there sooner for the man.

            Stepping closer, Leo extended his hand.  In it was Nobody’s discarded mask.

            “You’ll probably want this in case we need to surface,” Leo told him.

            “We should all get out of here,” Nobody said, glancing at Donatello.

            Don shook his head.  “Don’t worry about the explosives.  Ana has her Domeoids collecting the detonators.  We’ll round up the C4 later; right now we’re just concentrating on rendering it harmless.”

            The purple banded Turtle had moved to stand next to Raptarr and after speaking, he turned his attention to the Avian’s injury.

            “It is merely a flesh wound,” Raptarr whispered to him as Don’s gentle fingers explored his skin, and then moved to inspect the blackened spot on his wing.

            Don’s soft smile drew Raptarr’s hand to his cheek.

            Nobody pulled on his mask and started back towards the boiler room.  “I have to go up to be able to intercept him in the sewers.  That’s where his make-shift tunnel leads.”

            “It would be faster to follow through here,” Nano said.  He was standing near the front end loader that blocked their way into the tunnel and sewers.

            “I know you can fit through that tiny opening, Nano,” Nobody rasped, “but none of the rest of us can.  I’m going now, enough time has been wasted.”

            Tsunami strode over to where Nano stood and said, “I believe Nano and I can get this entry clear.”

            Leo reached out and caught Nobody’s arm before the dark man could rush into the boiler room.  Spinning around at the contact, Nobody saw Nano’s body transform and flow over the large metal bucket.

            Meanwhile, Tsunami lifted his arms and gestured towards the tunnel; a symphony conductor readying his musicians.  The rushing sound of water echoed in the enclosed space, and a small flood came forward from the sewers to close around the back end of the loader.

            Within seconds the obstacle was cleared from their path, the tunnel open and black in front of them.

            Nobody pulled his arm from Leo’s grasp and leaped into the darkness without a word.


	72. JF72 Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 2,449  
> Rated: R  
> Summary: Raphael tells Leo that Tsunami has helped him get past his hurt feelings. Leo guesses the rest for himself.

            “Those strong, silent types are kind of a pain in the ass, ain’t they Leo?” Raph said with a touch of wry humor.

            The little band of ninjas and Justice Force members listened to the receding sounds of Nobody’s footfalls as he sped away from them and into the blackness of the sewer system.

            “What do you want to do, Leo?” Don asked.

            Leo pushed back the feelings that were attempting to consume him and concentrated on their current task; catching Ruffington and getting their hands on his shipment of illegal arms.

            “Raph, you and Tsunami come with me.  We’re going to follow Nobody into the sewers,” Leo said quickly.  Turning to Don, he ordered, “You and the others take the truck.  Raptarr, I’m assuming you have a way to track Nobody?”

            Raptarr nodded his understanding.  “Yes, his communicator has a tracking module.  I can follow his movements from above and relay directions to Donatello as they drive.”

            “Good.  Did you hear anything that can tell us where Ruffington is going?” Leo asked.

            “I did, they are heading to the docks.  He told Nobody he was delivering a shipment to Hun,” Raptarr told him.

            “Well, shit.  Ain’t that peachy,” Raph muttered.

            Leo ignored him, addressing Ananda, “Can your Domeoids remain in the building until the police arrive?  I don’t want anyone to come in and cart off a brick of C4 as a souvenir.”

            “I’ll direct them to keep the building closed until law enforcement comes to take over the scene.  Has anyone called the police?” Ana asked, glancing around.

            When no one said anything, she pulled her communicator from her belt and stepped away to make the call.

            Leo caught Raph’s eye and said, “Let’s go.”

            Entering the dark sewers, Tsunami turned to stop the two brothers before they began to run.

            “There is a faster way to travel than on foot,” he told them, pointing down towards the flow of water running through the deep channel.

            “As much fun as your water slide is, Tsu, it’s also a little too noisy for a place that echoes,” Raph said.

            Leo started to move.  “Raph is right, Tsunami.  Your way is faster, but it will also alert Ruffington that he’s being followed.”

            Tsunami shrugged and began running. “Stealth is your province,” he acknowledged blithely.

            Keeping pace behind the two Turtles, Tsunami was once again amazed at how silently and quickly his lover could move.  Despite the heavy bulk of muscle, the red banded Turtle was making no sound at all, like a jungle cat slinking across the forest floor.

            If Raphael was the cat, his brother Leonardo was the cat’s shadow.  After only a few minutes Tsunami could see how frightening and deadly the eldest might be if riled.  He was swift and fluid in his movements, naturally blending into the darkness almost without conscious thought.

            Raph ran shoulder to shoulder with Leo for a couple of miles and realized the leader was holding back.  Leo was much the faster of the two, but as anxious as he was for Nobody’s safety, he was sticking to their training and not moving so fast as to lose sight of his brother.

            “He probably ain’t that much further ahead of us,” Raph muttered in a low, reassuring tone.

            Leo glanced at him and then away.  “I know.  He can be pretty fast though.  And he had a good head start.”

            Raph grinned.  “Nobody’s smart, he ain’t gonna walk into gunfire no matter how bad he wants ta get his hands on Ruffington.  Besides, he’s sure ta know you’re following and he’ll wait ‘til you’re close enough ta take the bullet for him.”

            “That’s funny Raph,” Leo said, sounding tolerantly amused rather than angry.

            They ran for a few more minutes, and then Raph said, “I was a real dick.”

            “You’re entitled to your feelings,” Leo responded in a low tone.

            “Yeah, but I ain’t entitled ta yours,” Raph said.  “I should know that what we got ain’t gonna disappear just ‘cause ya’ got someone new ta care about.”

            “I’m never going to love you less no matter what happens, Raph,” Leo said.  “And I will never abandon my family.”

            Tsunami slowed a bit as the words drifted back to him.  He knew the brothers needed a chance to talk, and he didn’t want his presence to hamper their ability to open up.

            “’M not saying I thought ya’ would,” Raph continued, “it was just too much at once.”

            “You spent some time thinking about this while you were gone,” Leo said, his eyes focused ahead of him.

            “Didn’t have much else ta’ do,” Raph admitted.  “Went and sat on the beach for a while, trying ta sort things out.  Spent a lot of that time trying ta figure out how ta wipe out the Justice Force.”

            That got Leo’s attention and he shifted his gaze to Raph’s face.  Raph was grinning at him.

            “I should know by now when you’re messing with me,” Leo told him.

            “Course ya’ should.  Ya’ knew I was half serious when I said that, or ya’ wouldn’t have bothered ta look over,” Raph said.

            Leo focused on just running for a few minutes and then said, “I was worried you were going to go looking for trouble.”

            “I did,” Raph admitted.  “I found some too.  Almost managed ta get myself shot until Tsu came along and pulled my ass out of the ringer.”

            “Raph . . . .”  Leo ground to a halt and Raph stopped with him.  Tsunami held back, remaining far enough away to avoid embarrassing the pair.

            “Look Leo,” Raph said.  “I’m tryin’ ta tell ya’ I’m sorry for jumping on Nobody before I gave ya’ a chance ta explain things.  I did something stupid at the lair, and I went out and tried ta do more stupid stuff just ta get your attention.”

            “Someday you’re going to get killed, Raph,” Leo said, his face betraying a hint of the pain that thought brought him.

            Raph reached out and gripped the back of his neck.  “I ain’t gonna take those kinda chances anymore Leo.  Tsunami didn’t just save my ass, he helped me understand some shit.”

            Leo searched his brother’s eyes, and then his opened wide.  “Raphael, are you and Tsunami  . . .?”

            “Involved?” Raph finished for him, a corner of his mouth lifting.  “Yeah, Leo.  Tsu and I, we have kinda had a thing going.  Only I wasn’t taking it too seriously ‘til he came down on me like a ton of bricks.  Kinda reminded me of you.”

            Leo’s eyes closed for the briefest of moments, and when he opened them he said, “We need to keep moving.”

            Raph retained his hold, not allowing Leo to leave.  “Leo, I know ya’ got some feelings for Nobody and I know I screwed things up between ya’.  I’m trying ta tell ya’ that I’m good with this; ya’ ain’t gotta ignore your feelings ‘cause of me.”

            “I’m not doing that Raph.  Right now I’m just focused on catching Ruffington and making sure Nobody doesn’t do something foolish.”  Leo pulled out of Raph’s grip and started running again.

            Raph stayed where he was, frowning after his brother.  Tsunami came up beside him; not touching, just simply being near if needed.

            “Damn it,” Raph hissed under his breath.

            “He’s made a decision and isn’t going to be dissuaded from it by changing circumstances is he?” Tsunami asked.

            “Yeah,” Raph answered, taking a deep breath.  “Some time, when we got a few dozen hours, I’ll try ta tell ya’ about my brother Leo, our leader.  My brothers tell me I’m the stubborn one, but I ain’t got anything on Fearless there.  Come on, before he gets too far ahead.”

            Tsunami kept pace with Raph as they ran.  The damp air of the sewer tunnel felt good against his skin while his eyes, used to seeing in the murky gloom of deep water, adapted easily to the darkness.

            “Where would you live if you couldn’t live here, Raphael?” Tsunami asked in a low tone, knowing Raph was trying to keep track of Leo’s whereabouts.

            “Ya’ mean in the sewers?” Raph replied.  “Or are ya’ talking about New York City?”

            “Take your pick,” Tsunami said.

            “Wouldn’t mind having a little apartment up top, the way Case does,” Raph told him after a minute.  “It’s kinda nice seeing the difference between day and night coming through your window.  Don’t know that I’d want ta’ live someplace other than this city; I guess I’m as much a part of it as it is of me.”

            “Would you like to travel?  See other countries; other cities?” Tsunami asked.

            Raph chuckled.  “What, are ya’ offering ta take me on a world tour Tsu?”

            “Possibly,” Tsunami said.  “It depends on whether you’re open to the idea.”

            “Ya’ know I been ta other planets don’t ya’?  Ain’t like the only place I’ve ever seen is New York,” Raph said.

            “I’m sure those other planets were wonderful Raphael.  But it isn’t quite the same as getting to really know the one you actually live on.  Surely you could break away to come with me and see all the wonders this planet has to offer,” Tsunami said.

            “Let’s talk about that after my family clears up this mess with Ruffington,” Raph said.

            “Your family?  What makes this fight your special dominion?  It seems to belong to the Justice Force if any family is to lay claim to it.  Nobody has had prior dealings with Ruffington,” Tsunami corrected him.

            “Yeah?” Raph scoffed.  “Well, my bro’ is the one that almost got waxed by those special bullets, so that makes it personal.  Since we sorta got pulled in equally, I’ll split the difference with ya’ and say the fight belongs ta both our families.”

            Tsunami glanced over at Raph quickly, a quirky smile on his face.  “Families eh, Raph?  Yes, I see that.  I suppose that makes me the Romeo to your Juliet.”

            Raph snorted.  “Oh, hell no; other way around pal.”

            Rounding a curve they saw that Leo had stopped, his hand lifted in their direction.

            “Quiet,” he hissed at them.

            Raph and Tsunami could hear what had stopped Leo.  The sounds of motorized engines and men’s voices bounced off of the sewer tunnel walls, resounding loudly in the enclosed space.

            “This pipe lets out directly into the ocean,” Leo said.  “They must have opened the wall up ahead to create a route to the docks.”

            “So where the fuck is Nobody?” Raph whispered.

            “Over here,” the dark vigilante spoke softly from the shadows.  Moving towards them, he said, “There is a rather large cargo ship waiting alongside the pier where they have detoured to.”

            “Could you see how many men Ruffington has helping him?” Leo asked.

            “There a quite a few, but a lot of them are simply dock workers.  Here, let me diagram what I saw.” Kneeling in the soft dirt layering the sewer floor, he quickly sketched the layout for them.

            “These Xs are where I saw armed guards,” Nobody said.  “There are several buildings, but I had time for only a quick look before I had to draw back.  I don’t know who or what else Ruffington might have set up to protect his investment.”

            “Any sign of Hun?” Raph asked.

            “Not yet, but I’m sure he’ll be here,” Nobody said.  “They’re loading that ship rather quickly, Leonardo.  Some of the mooring lines have already been pulled up.  At the first sign of trouble, that ship will set out to sea.”

            “No it will not,” Tsunami said with a smirk.  “Leave the ship to me.  Anything sitting on water is fair game as far as I’m concerned.”

            “Ya’ can’t hold back the ocean and fight at the same time, Tsu,” Raph reminded him.

            “Then I suppose you will have to do the majority of the fighting Raphael,” Tsunami said with a grin.  “Try not to let the idea get you down.”

            Raph grunted, but found his lips crawling upwards to return the smile.  He put a hand to his mouth and rubbed at it, trying to hide the sappy expression, but Tsunami had already seen it.  The blue mutants eyes flashed and he chuckled at having drawn a reaction from his usually stalwart lover.

            “Fuck you Tsunami,” Raph growled at having been one upped.

            “Perhaps later,” Tsunami replied, “one thing at a time.”

            “We’ll need to divide our forces and try to get our people into strategic locations before anyone realizes we’re here.  It won’t be long before Ruffington discovers his explosives didn’t detonate,” Leo interrupted to say.

            “Where are the others?” Nobody asked.

            “Let’s find out,” Leo answered, pulling his shell cell from his belt.  “Donny?  Where are you?”

            Don’s voice came through the speaker, _“We’ve parked behind some shipping containers about a half mile from you and all the activity.  I take it that’s Ruffington?”_

            “Yes.  Don’t let them see you; he has a lot of firepower over here.  Tsunami is going to keep that ship from leaving, the rest of us need to get into position to try and take them with as little force as necessary,” Leo told him.

            _“Tell us the plan bro’, we’ll be ready,”_ Don said.

            “Hang loose for another couple of minutes,” Leo responded, muting the connection and looking up at Nobody.  “Do you want to call this one?” he asked.

            Raph watched the non-verbal exchange between Nobody and Leo, wondering how the hell he hadn’t seen the obvious signs of their attraction to each other before this.  Even with a mask covering his face, Nobody’s body language gave him away as he unconsciously leaned towards Leo.

            “No, one general to a mission is always best, and you are by far the better tactician,” Nobody conceded, his voice dropping an octave.

            Raph saw Leo’s throat move as he swallowed, then the blue banded ninja leader nodded once, accepting the role.

            “All right,” Leo said, his voice taking on a deeper tone and his face becoming determined.  Pressing the button to re-connect to Don, Leo continued, “Here’s what we’re going to do.”

            Raph felt Tsu shift closer to him as they concentrated on Leo’s plan.  He loved Leo’s command voice, not that he’d ever admit that to anyone.  It was sexy as hell, and even though Raph could feel the arousing heat from Tsunami’s form, he was pretty happy to realize Leo still had the same pull on him as he’d always had.

            Shell, maybe Tsu was right; if Raph could have feelings for Tsunami without them changing how he felt about his brothers; then his brothers were capable of doing the same for him.


	73. JF73 Scheming Siblings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 2,396  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Donatello and Michelangelo use the time driving towards a fight with Ruffington to decide Leo's future.

            “Hey Don, are you happy dude?” Mike asked in a voice just loud enough to be heard over the noise of the trucks engine.

            Don glanced at him, and then back at the shell cell tracking monitor.  Mikey was once again driving while his brother navigated their route through the city streets, guided by the tracking modules in Leo and Raph’s shell cells, and by Raptarr’s directions.

            Allowing himself a small smile at the question, Don said, “Yeah Mikey, I’m happy.”

            “That’s great,” Mikey said, his face radiant.

            Don could tell Mikey was happy; shell, anyone who bothered to look at the youngest Turtle could tell he was happy.

            “Take a left on Seaward,” Don told him after talking to Raptarr on the communicator.

            Making the turn without reducing his speed, Mikey picked up his train of thought.

            “I think something’s going on between Raph and Tsunami,” he said.

            Don’s smile grew larger.  “Do you now,” he said noncommittally.

            Mike’s head turned sharply, quickly studying a brief glimpse of Don’s face with his steely sharp blue eyes.  When he brought his attention back to the road, he was grinning.

            “Spill it bro’.  You know something,” Mike insisted.

            “I don’t _know_ anything Mikey,” Don told him, though why he bothered with the semantics he didn’t know.  Mikey was much too astute to let that answer pass unchallenged.

            “I’ll bet you made an educated guess though, right Donny?  Based on something you’ve seen or heard?  Come on, you can tell me,” Mikey wheedled, never losing his concentration on his driving.

            Don chuckled to himself.  Mike could focus when he wanted to, and driving at breakneck speeds towards what promised to be a big fight wasn’t going to deter him from his beloved gossip.

            “Tsunami came to the lair to get me to help him locate Raph.  It seems they’ve been spending a lot more time together than any of us knew,” Don said.  “Tsunami wouldn’t actually admit to an affair, but seeing them together just now, I think it’s pretty obvious something’s going on between them.”

            “Hot damn!” Mikey yelped excitedly.  “That means no more fighting with the big guy about our new love interests.”

            “If they are together Mikey,” Don reminded him.  “We don’t know that for sure.”

            Mikey grinned complacently.  “Yeah, they’re together.  Tsunami is perfect for him; he’s not scared of Raph, he’s really strong and he doesn’t take Raph’s crap seriously.  That’s why Raph’s never popped him one; Tsunami knows how to pull Raph’s anger plug.”

            “It would be nice for Raphael to have someone who was completely devoted just to him,” Don observed with a sigh.  “Raph needs that kind of reassurance and the feeling of being needed.”

            “Speaking of love interests,” Mikey said, “what’s going on between Leo and Nobody?  They were dancing around each other like magnets that couldn’t decide if they wanted to attract or repel.”

            Don looked up from the monitor again to glance at Mikey.  “You know exactly how to describe things, don’t you Mike?  How do you do that?”

            Mikey shrugged.  “It’s my special power dude.  So, didn’t you manage to fix things between those two?”

            Don shook his head.  “Honestly, Mikey, I don’t know.  I talked to both of them and I get the feeling they don’t want to be separated, but they’re both behaving like martyrs.  Now Leo’s doing the ‘I have to do what I think is right for the family’ thing, and Nobody’s doing the whole ‘lonely crusader’ thing.”

            “So basically, two people who should so totally be together are acting like prissy teenage girls, right Don?” Mikey asked, laughing.

            “Pretty much,” Don agreed.

            Mikey drove for a bit without saying anything, but Don could almost see the wheels turning in his head.

            “What are we gonna do about it?” Mikey asked.

            “About what Mike?” Don said.

            “Leo and Nobody.  We gotta do something else, ‘cause if we leave it to them, they’ll both just stay pigheaded and walk away from each other.”

            “What do you want me to do Mikey, handcuff them together?” Don asked.

            Mikey perked up.  “Maybe.  In a locked room; that’d be sweet.”

            “Michelangelo, we are not handcuffing Leo and Nobody together and locking them in a room.  Banish that thought from your head,” Don said firmly.

            “Aw dude!  That was an awesome mental image,” Mikey protested.

            “That might get your kinky bondage juices flowing Mikey, but it will only make Leo mad.  He’ll be out of the cuffs and have the door open in about five minutes and come looking for you.  I say you, because I’m not having anything to do with that plan,” Don told him.

            Mikey snorted.  “Spoil sport.”

            “Leo was trying to shut down,” Don explained.  “I think I headed it off, but I’m afraid this fight and working with Nobody again is going to start the process over.  Do you really want him to be the way he was before we convinced him it was okay to be our leader, our brother _and_ our lover?”

            “No,” Mikey answered seriously.  “Man, I hated that time.  He was so freakin’ unhappy and wouldn’t admit it that it almost spoiled what we were trying to put together.”

            “I know.  When he has an idea fixed in his head the only thing to shake it loose  . . . .” Don suddenly trailed off.

            Mikey looked over at him.  Don’s face had the frozen expression that meant he was deep in thought.  Mikey had no idea what set him off, but he wasn’t going to interrupt.  That look usually meant broken things got fixed.

            The communicator in his hand beeped and Don lifted it.  “I’m here Raptarr.”

            _“Nobody’s tracking signal has stopped.  Take a right on the next street, go two blocks and make a left.  About a mile and a half straight ahead there is a ship docked that appears to be in the process of being loaded.  I’m trying to stay out of their sight, so I can’t relay much more information than that,”_ Raptarr said.

            “Is there any place where we can park the truck without being spotted?” Don asked.

            _“There are several large shipping containers further along the dock from the ship.  They do not appear to be scheduled for transport, so you can park near them,”_ Raptarr replied.

            “We’ll do that then.  Hopefully Leo will have caught up to Nobody and one of them will come up with some kind of plan,” Don said.

            _“I’ll join you as soon as you’ve parked and wait with you.  Donatello I  . . . . “_

            Don interrupted, “Me too Raptarr.  Give us a few minutes and you can tell me in person.”

            Mikey was grinning broadly, enjoying the flush of red that had suffused Don’s cheeks.

            “He was gonna say he wuvs you,” Mikey teased.

            “Shut up, Mikey,” Don said, his color deepening.

            “But it’s so cute,” Mikey told him.

            Don shrugged.  “Raptarr is like that.  He  . . . he likes to tell me how he feels.”

            “I’m not ragging on you dude,” Mikey said with a chuckle.  “I think it’s cool that your guy is demonstrative.  He makes you blush the cutest shade of greenish-red with just a few words.  Heck, I can only get that color out of you when I  . . . . “

            “Enough Mikey!” Don yelped.  Calming, he said, “Not a discussion I want to start when we’re about to get into a fight.”

            “Why?  Afraid it’ll give you a boner?” Mikey asked, enjoying himself.

            “If you insist on bringing up that kind of subject Hamato Michelangelo,” Don hissed, dropping his voice even further, “please explain just exactly what is going on with you, Nano and Ananda?”

            Mike’s glance over at Don was furtive.  They had arrived at the dock, and Mikey was driving slowly, watching for guards.

            “Who said anything was going on?” Mikey asked finally.  “Ananda was by herself and we decided she’d enjoy coming out with us.”

            “You’re a horrible liar, Mikey,” Don said.  “Master Splinter always busted you before anyone else when we were kids because you can’t lie well, and you haven’t learned.”

            “Oh yeah?  Well I sure kept the secret about me and Nano from you guys for a long time.  Now put that in your pipe and smoke it Mister Donatello,” Mikey retorted.

            Don was watching out through the windshield and pointed.  “There, over there Mikey.  That’s a good spot to park.”

            Mikey drove past the spot, and then shifted the truck into reverse and backed into it so they’d be able to pull out quickly.  Killing the engine, Mikey looked in the back and grinned at Nano and Ananda, who were sitting side by side on one of the bench seats.

            “How are you guys doing back there?” he asked.

            “We have been enjoying an illuminating conversation with one another,” Nano answered.  “I take it we’ve arrived at our destination?”

            “We sure have,” Mikey said.  “Now we just have to sit and wait for Leo to tell us what he wants us to do.”

            “Mikey,” Ananda said, “the Domeoids have turned the building over to the police.  I can call them to come here.  They would be very helpful if we’re going to end up fighting men with guns.”

            “Do that,” Mikey told her decisively, “but hold them back until we have a concrete plan.  I don’t want Ruffington or his men to see them.”

            Ananda nodded and touched her fingertips to her head.  Hearing Don’s chuckle, Mikey turned back towards him.

            “What?” he asked.

            “You keep that up and Leo will have to promote you to Colonel,” Don answered.  “You have a pretty good handle on battle tactics not to mention the fact that you’ve already got your own small army.”

            Mikey huffed.  “Yeah, but I’d still be under mister stiff butt’s command,” he said.

            Don chuckled.  “Don’t let Leo hear you say that.  He’ll have you doing backflips for the next two days.”

            Mikey laughed with him.  “Dude, seriously.”

            Don’s laugh tapered off slightly as he said, “I’m still waiting to hear about you and Ananda.”

            Mikey met his eyes and said, “The truth is I don’t know.  I’m happy with you guys and Nano, but Nano seems to be wanting us to start something with Ananda as well.  I think he’s trying to build himself a family.”

            “If you guys don’t have feelings for her, then you shouldn’t play that kind of game,” Don told him warningly.

            “I’m not,” Mikey protested.  “As a matter of fact, I, um  . . . I really kind of like Ananda.”

            Don sighed.  “Later, when there’s more time, you and I need to talk.  You really are insatiable.”

            “That’s a good thing right?” Mikey asked rhetorically.  “Speaking of talking, you were in the middle of telling me how to knock some sense into Leo when you trailed off into scary Donny land.  Give.”

            “I was just remembering how we finally got through to Leo a couple of years ago,” Don said.  “We were doing our thing but any time he’d catch us even kissing he’d freeze up.”

            Mikey nodded.  “Oh yeah.  Awkward.  It was hard enough dodging Master Splinter, at least he has a set schedule.  Leo would show up at the totally wrong times.”

            “We tried everything and finally decided he just wasn’t into it; in fact, I was beginning to wonder if he was asexual,” Don said.

            “Not from the sounds I heard coming out of his room late at night,” Mikey told him.

            “Geez, Mikey!  Were you eavesdropping?” Don asked, slightly exasperated.

            “I was trying to find some answers dude.  That’s not eavesdropping, that’s data collection,” Mikey said.  “And he and Mr. Hand were _so_ going to town.”

            Don rubbed a hand over his face.  “Be that as it may, do you remember what it was that unthawed that deep freeze of his?”

            Mikey perked up, catching Don’s train of thought.  “It was fire right?  To be more specific, Raph’s fire.”

            Don smirked.  “We tried logic, reasoning, cajoling, shell _everything_ ,” he said.  “And then Raphael finally blew up and lit into him.”

            Mikey grinned.  “Man that was freakin’ hot.  They were yelling at each other and Raph lost it and threw a punch, and Leo popped his cork.  Before long they were both rolling around trading blows and we thought we were gonna have to break them up.”

            Don picked up the memory thread.  “Then Raph pinned him just long enough to plant a good solid kiss to his lips.  Leo was so mad he tried to yell at Raph, and while he had his mouth open, Raph fed him some tongue.”

            Mikey rocked in his seat, starting to notice his lower extremities while thinking about that episode.

            “ _Shell_ ,” he breathed out.  “Leo went still all of a sudden and Raph took advantage of that to start petting him.”

            “One of the things that Raph’s best at is understanding feelings,” Don pointed out.  “His hands knew _exactly_ where to go on Leo’s body.  He had Leo out and hard in just a few minutes.”

            “That’s because Leo really wanted it, he was just repressing his desires, just like he’s doing now,” Mikey said.  “So what’s your idea?”

            “Raph is the one who made Leo turn Nobody aside; Raph is the one to burn down that ice wall again,” Don told him.

            “That’s a great plan if Raph isn’t pissed at Nobody anymore.  If he is, you can kiss that idea goodbye,” Mikey said shortly.

            Don caught a movement out of the corner of his eye and smiled.  Raptarr had arrived.

            “I think with Tsunami’s input, that situation may have changed.  We’ll talk about it some more later.”  Don got up from his seat and moved towards the back of the truck.

            “Boyfriend’s here so now you’re gonna dis me, right Don?” Mikey teased.

            Don waved a hand at him and opened one of the rear truck doors.  He stepped down from the truck and into Raptarr’s arms.

            Without saying a word, their mouths pressed together hungrily.

            If Don could have this with Raptarr, then Leo could have it with Nobody as well.  With a little help from Mikey and Raph, they would figure out a way to get Leo and Nobody together.  It just needed a little planning, and some of Raph’s hot blooded temperament.


	74. JF74 My Team

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 1,095  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: It's a joint operation and Ruffington is going down. Seems to be a strange time to solidify a relationship, but Mikey is not an average Turtle.

            “Ana, maybe you should stay here,” Mikey said.  “Without the Domebot you’re kinda, um . . . . “

            “Helpless?” she finished for him.

            They were whispering because Don was trying to hear Leo’s plan.  On speaker, the reception wasn’t all that great and Leo couldn’t talk very loud anyway.  Not with Ruffington’s armed guards strolling past the tunnel where Leo waited with Raph, Tsunami and Nobody.

            Mikey shrugged, a little embarrassed.  He didn’t want to make Ana feel left out of the fight, because he knew damned well she could hold her own in one.  She wouldn’t be part of the Justice Force if she couldn’t.  It was just that he suddenly felt an overwhelming protectiveness towards her and wasn’t really sure what to do about it.

            Ana smiled as though she understood what was going through his head and he flushed.

            “Sorry,” he said.

            “Don’t be.  Hey Don,” Ana called, interrupting Don as he was asking Leo a question.

            “Hang on Leo,” Don said and turned to look at Ana.  “What is it?”

            “Nobody,” Ana called through the speaker, “what type of dock crane are they using?”

            Nobody’s voice echoed through the cell phone as he answered, _“It’s one of the newer electric ones.”_

            “The kind with the onboard computer panel?” she asked.

            _“Exactly,”_ Nobody said.  _“Can you stop them from loading?”_

            “I sure can,” Ana told him, smiling complacently.  “Mikey said I should call the Domeoids but keep them out of sight; can you fit them into your plan?”

            _“Yes,”_ Leo answered immediately.  _“You can have them take out anyone who starts shooting.  Just have them pull the guns out of their hands.”_

            “All right.  Maybe those guards will shoot at the Domeoids rather than you guys if I have them flying back and forth to create a diversion,” Ana said.

            _“That’s perfect actually; we’ll incorporate that into the plan.  In fact, your Domeoids can be our starting signal.  As soon as the guards begin firing at them, Tsunami can move into place closer to the water and that cargo ship,”_ Leo said.

            “I will act as Ananda’s shield,” Nano offered quickly.  “She will be exposed while she is controlling both the Domeoids and the dock crane.  I can form a cocoon around her that bullets cannot pierce.”

            _“Ananda, Ruffington has a limo parked near one of the buildings.  Can you spin that crane around and pick it up?  I don’t want that bastard to have any kind of opportunity at getting away,”_ Nobody requested.

            “No problem,” Ana acknowledged.

            _“That’s settled then,”_ Leo said.  _“Let’s recap to make sure there are no questions.  After we hang up, give us five minutes to subdue the guards near our tunnel.  In exactly five minutes, Ana will send a squadron of her Domeoids out into the open to draw fire.  That should bring all of the guards out so we can see them._

_“Raph and Tsunami are targeting the ship itself; Tsunami is going to keep it from moving and Raph is going to deal with any dock workers who try to interfere._

_“Nobody and I are after Ruffington; he has to be caught and we have to confiscate that brief case of his.  Ana will take control of the dock crane so all loading is stopped, and she’ll take care of Ruffington’s escape vehicle._

_“Nano will cover Ana.  Raptarr will provide aerial surveillance; I don’t think Hun is here yet, but he’s sure to be on his way.  I want to know when he gets close.  Raptarr will also assist Mike and Don._

_“Mikey and Don, you two locate all of the crates that are still on the dock waiting to be loaded.  Don can look up the ships manifest and match the cargo to the ship.  I don’t know if they all contain illegal arms, but I want the ones that have cyanide bullets inside of them marked somehow.”_

            “I’ve got cans of spray paint in the truck,” Don said.  “We can put a big ‘X’ on the crates containing anything remotely resembling cyanide bullets or just cyanide.”

            _“No one takes unnecessary chances, is that clear?”_ Leo asked.

            A murmur of assent went up from the group in the truck, and Leo continued, _“Good.  I want this situation handled and under control before the police arrive.  I don’t want this turning into a SWAT stand-off.  When the police do get here, my brothers and I will fade out of sight and let the Justice Force finish the operation.  That means the truck needs to be a little further away, Don.”_

            “Mikey and I can move it while Nano and Ana get into position,” Don told him.

            _“Are there any questions?”_ Leo asked.  Waiting for a minute and receiving none, he went on, _“If anyone has to stray from this plan, they need to let their partner know.  If one of the teams has a change, they need to relay the message through Nano.  He’ll be our point of contact.  Go now.”_

            The line went dead.  Nano and Ana climbed out of the truck with Mikey, and he pointed to a nearby building. 

            “Get up on the roof there.  That should give you a view of our target without drawing anyone’s attention.  If you have to move, let me know.  I wanna keep track of you two,” Mikey said.

            “I understand, Michelangelo.  Please be safe as well,” Nano told him.

            “Please stay away from those guns, Mikey,” Ana told him, her eyes suddenly wide and a little frightened.

            It took Mikey a minute to realize that she wasn’t afraid for herself.

            He knew damn well the clock was ticking, but he couldn’t help himself.  Impulsively reaching for her, Mikey wrapped his arms around Ana, bent her backwards, and covered her mouth with his.

            Her arms flew up in surprise and she grasped the back of his neck.  Without thinking about it, Ananda opened her mouth and that was all the invitation Mikey needed to plunge his tongue inside.

            The feel of his tongue surprised Ana.  It was wide, warm and extremely talented.  Forgetting where she was or even why, Ana kissed him back with a passion that overwhelmed her.

            “Ahem!”  Don’s voice interrupted them.  “We’re on the clock Mikey.”

            Mikey pulled Ana back upright and she shivered in his arms before he released her.

            Nano was smiling broadly when Mikey glanced at him, and the orange banded Turtle couldn’t help the little smirk that touched his lips.

            “I will take good care of her, Michelangelo,” Nano assured him.  “Ananda is family now.”


	75. JF75 Lover's Revenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 2,339  
> Rated: R  
> Summary: Assigned to take out an entire cargo ship, Raph and Tsunami move into position and prove that they are a formidable fighting team.

            Leonardo and Raphael were ghosts as they shot out of the tunnel and subdued the two guards patrolling the area.  It was Tsunami’s first time to see Raphael behaving as the ninja he had trained to be; the ninja that embodied the stories Tsunami had been told as a child growing up in Japan.

            That he could fight, Tsunami already knew.  That he was fast and silent, Tsunami already knew.  This kind of stealth, the stalking quality of the hunt, Raph’s ability to blend in with his surroundings; these were skills that Tsunami hadn’t had the opportunity to see his lover use before.  He was more than a little impressed.

            The guards disappeared from sight, and a second or two later, Leo suddenly appeared, signaling that it was safe for Tsunami and Nobody to exit the tunnel.

            They squatted behind a crate and did a quick scan of the area.  Leo looked at his brother and Raph stared directly into his eyes, some secret message seeming to pass between them.

            “Two minutes, Raph,” Leo said in a low voice.

            “Bet I get into position before ya’ do,” Raph told him with a hint of a cocky smile.

            “Without taking chances or being seen?” Leo returned with his own half smile.

            Raph pointed at him.  “Yeah.  Chores for a week?”

            Leo hooked his finger around Raph’s and they tugged, sealing the deal.  “You’re on,” Leo said.

            Leo and Nobody moved off in the opposite direction, towards the warehouse where they suspected Ruffington to be conducting business.  Raph watched his brother’s shell for a minute, then turned to Tsunami.

            “How close do ya’ need ta be ta the water ta do your magic trick?” he asked.

            “I have to be able to see what I’m doing,” Tsunami answered.  “Get me close enough so I can see the hull of the ship; I don’t want to exert too much force or I’ll damage the vessel.”

            “Why worry about it?” Raph asked, rising up a bit to take a look around.

            “Because they may have nothing to do with Ruffington and are simply moving cargo for a paying customer,” Tsunami told him.  “We should blast them out of the water after we know that for sure.”

            Raph chuckled, leading the way towards the water and the ship.  “Ya’ got a whole lot more patience than I do, Tsu.”

            “Everyone has a lot more patience than you Raphael,” Tsunami said.  “And don’t call me Tsu.”

            They heard someone coming in their direction before they saw him, giving them time to duck out of sight.  Gliding around the crates they were using to hide themselves, they waited until a gun toting guard sidled by before creeping out and dashing across to a forklift that was parked near the edge of the dock.

            With his shell propped against the side of the machine, Raph glanced back towards the warehouse just in time to see Leo closing the door behind Nobody and himself.

            Chuckling, he looked at Tsunami and whispered, “Damn Leo.  I’d say it was a tie.  I was really looking forward ta his doing my chores, too.”

            “Ahh,” Tsunami mused aloud.  “Another brother thing?”

            “Yeah,” Raph said.  “Now, ya’ are close enough right?  ‘Cause if we have ta move again before the fireworks start, then I gotta do Leo’s chores.”

            “I have a wonderful view of that ship from right here, Raphael.  We do not have to move again.  Besides, I think our team is quite the best of the bunch, no offense to your brother and Nobody,” Tsunami said cheekily.

            “None taken,” Raph told him with a grin.  “I tend ta agree with ya’.”

            A whistling sound overhead drew their attention and they both looked skyward.  Several Domeoids whizzed past, spreading out over the dock and the warehouse.

            Gunfire erupted within seconds, coming from several different directions.

            “Showtime,” Raph announced with a pleased tone and yanked his sais from his belt.

            The guard that had passed them stood nearby, his back turned as he fired at the Domeoids.  Raph leaped on him, driving him to the ground and knocking his weapon from his hand.  When the man tried to reach for it, Raph rapped the back of his head with the hilt of his weapon, rendering the guard unconscious.

            Raphael used the man’s belt to hogtie him and then drag him behind a crate.  Men were already scurrying to release the mooring lines, and Tsunami darted towards the nearest one.

            When the man heard him coming, he spun around, eyes going wide.  He started to reach for the long bladed knife that was sheathed at his side, but Tsunami pounced first.  Grabbing the man’s wrist, Tsunami yanked his hand away from the weapon and then pressed down on the nerve between the man’s neck and collarbone.

            Eyes rolling into the back of his head, the man collapsed at Tsunami’s feet.  The blue mutant shoved his body aside and turned his attention to the ship, which appeared to be trying to get underway.

            Striding to the dock’s edge, Tsunami lifted his hands towards the water and it responded immediately to his command.  Wave after wave curved from beneath the hull and crested into a giant water wall on the ocean side of the ship.  With each escaping wave, the ship sank lower.

            From the corner of his eye, Tsunami saw Raph dodging between pilings as he plowed his way through the men attempting to release the ship’s moorings.  Despite the heavy scowl he wore, Raph looked to be in his element as his fists connected with unerring accuracy, sending adversaries flying like tackle dummies.

            Tsunami laughed, overjoyed at his lover’s show of force, and then something struck the wooden plank next to his foot, sending splinters in all directions.  A sharp report followed, and Tsunami looked up towards the forecastle of the ship to see a guard aiming a rifle at him.

            Quickly flicking a hand forward, Tsunami drew a water shield in front of him as the guard fired again.  Holding the shield in place with one hand, Tsunami continued to pull water from beneath the ship, working hard to dry dock it.  His efforts were slowed considerably by the necessity of dividing his concentration.

            The myriad sounds of gunfire playing around them told Tsunami that the Domeoids had drawn out most, if not all of the guards.  By now Ruffington would know he was under attack and things could only get more intense as there was no telling how the man would deal with the pressure.

            Raph batted aside the crowbar swinging down towards his head and swung a hard fist into the gut of the man wielding it.  Eyeballs nearly popping out of his head, the man’s mouth formed a silent ‘O’ before he fell to the ground, clutching his midriff.  Looking swiftly around, Raph saw that there were no more dockhands attempting to pull loose the mooring lines.

            Gunfire close by drew his attention to Tsunami and he saw the water shield his lover had been forced to raise.  Both hands occupied, the water sprite was unable to take out the guard firing at him.

            With a giant leap, Raph caught hold of the nearest mooring line and started pulling himself up towards the ship as quickly as he could.  When he reached the top, he spun on the line until he’d built up enough momentum to let go and sail over the ships railing, landing on all fours atop the deck.

            Taking a moment to locate himself, Raph moved silently toward the forecastle of the ship where the gunman leaned forward, trying to find a way to penetrate Tsunami’s water shield.

            Several deck hands raced by; unarmed and unwilling to be involved in a fight they didn’t understand, they were moving towards the safety of the ladders that would take them below deck.  One of them spotted Raph and skid to a halt, eyes wide and staring.

            Raph placed a finger to his lips and the man promptly fainted.

            “Tch!” Raph quietly clucked.  “Girly man.”

            Using all available cover, Raph drew closer to the man who was shooting.  Before he could get close enough to jump the guard, another deck hand spotted him and let out a loud shout.

            Cursing, Raph watched the guard spin around in his direction.  Raph crouched as the rifle was leveled at him and then leaped aside as the man fired.

            Hitting the deck and rolling, Raph came up on his knees and launched one of his sais at the man before he could fire again.  The metal tip of his weapon sank with unerring accuracy into the man’s chest, and he dropped the rifle before looking down at the thick steel protruding from his body.

            Blood welled up to coat his shirt front and the man tipped over onto his side, eyes wide and unseeing.

            Raph ran over to him and yanked his weapon loose, releasing a fine spray of blood that coated his hand.  Leaning down, the red banded Turtle wiped as much as possible off onto the man’s jeans before proceeding to the rail to look down at Tsunami.

            The water sprite’s blue eyes met his golden ones, and Tsunami gave him a cocky grin.  Raph grinned back, his heart racing in his chest as his lover turned his full attention back to pulling water away from the ship.

            Raph never knew how much fun he could have fighting alongside someone other than one of his brothers, but this was definitely one of the better times he’d had in his life.  Tsunami proved to be a skillful and resourceful ally, besides being damn good in the sex department.

            The ship lurched as it sank further, the water that supported it slowly slipping away.  Raph skidded sideways for a moment before getting his balance, and then noticed the open hatch nearby.

            Making his way over, Raph peered over the side and saw men milling around in the bowels of the ship, holding onto ropes attached to the cargo that had already been loaded.  They didn’t look inclined to join in any of the fighting going on above them, but Raph wasn’t about to give any of them that option, in case the notion did strike one of them.

            The steel hatch covers were standing up at one end and Raph moved over to the hydraulic control lever, pulling down to release the cover sections.  As they rolled into place, Raph could hear the men below begin to shout, but the sounds were soon cut off as the watertight seal of the covers slid into place.

            Raph didn’t know how many men made up the ships contingent, but he did know that only three of the dozen mooring lines had been released from the dock bollards.  Moving back to the forecastle, he saw that Tsunami had stopped moving the water from beneath the ship; it was riding far enough down and blocked off by a water wall that stood higher than the tops of the cargo winches.

            Heavy gunfire still sounded from nearby, but all the activity near the ship had ceased.

            “Can ya’ hold the water like that for a while?” Raph called down to Tsunami.

            “Yes, that won’t be a problem,” Tsunami answered.  “Are you alone up there?”

            “Nah,” Raph grinned.  “I’ve got a captive audience below decks listening ta the sound of your water wall hitting the hull.  I don’t know if I’ve got them all, but I don’t think anybody that’s still loose is gonna attempt any stupid stunts.”

            “Any sign of the captain of that vessel?” Tsunami asked.

            “Haven’t seen him.  If he’s smart, he’s down on the floor someplace waiting it out.  If he ain’t, then he’s a fucking part of this and when he shows himself I’m gonna hang him from one of the cargo winches,” Raph announced loudly.

            Tsunami chuckled.  “I’m sure he heard every word of that and is now cowering in fear.  You have such an expressive pattern of speech, Raphael, that even a non-English speaker would understand you clearly.”

            “That’s good, ‘cause it pisses me off when there’s a misunderstanding,” Raph said.  “Ya’ think everybody else is okay?”

            “We haven’t heard from them, so I would surmise the others are having the same results as we are,” Tsunami said.  “Do you want to check on them?”

            “Shell no,” Raph told him.  “The plan said I stick with your ass so I could watch your back and that’s what I’m gonna do.  No way am I giving Leo the satisfaction of telling me I can’t follow a simple plan.”

            “Then I suppose all we can do at this point is to wait,” Tsunami said as he held his wall of water high against the side of the cargo ship.

            “Yeah,” Raph growled.  “That’s my least favorite thing ta do.”

            His shell cell beeped suddenly and Raph snatched it off his belt.

            “What?” he asked quickly.

            _“Heads up, Raph.  Raptarr just spotted Hun’s limo headed this way,”_ Don told him.

            “Where are ya’?” Raph asked.

            _“Marking crates in the shipyard with Mikey,”_ Don said.  _“There are a lot of Ruffington’s men still roaming around.  Watch yourselves; I’ll call you in a bit.”_

            Seeing the look on Raph’s face when his lover looked over the forecastle again, Tsunami asked, “Something has happened?”

            “Hun’s on his way,” Raph said.  Rubbing his hands together gleefully, he said, “And I was afraid this party was gonna start getting boring.”

            The sound of a shot close to him made Tsunami raise another water shield.  A bullet slammed into the shield and hit the deck nearby.

            “This party isn’t quite over yet, my friend,” Tsunami said, unperturbed by the close call.

            Raph growled.  “Coming down Tsunami, somebody’s gonna pay for that.”

            Tsunami watched the emerald green head disappear and grinned hugely.  Somebody would indeed pay for taking a shot at him in front of his Turtle lover.

            And Tsunami was going to enjoy every second of his lover’s revenge.


	76. JF76 Just A Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 2,873  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: The hunters are two of a kind, their prey is deadly and there isn't time to think about more personal things. That doesn't stop them from doing so.

            Leonardo listened in silence to the report relayed through his headset from Nano.  His murmured acknowledgment was inaudible to anyone more than a few feet away, and he’d made sure that he and Nobody were completely alone before taking the call.

            Once the update was completed, Leo turned his attention back to the task at hand.  Nobody was crouched nearby, both of them inside the warehouse where they believed Ruffington to be directing his operation.  Crates and boxes, some stacked to the ceiling, offered plenty of cover for their hunt.

            “The ship has been secured,” Leo reported in a low whisper.

            “How many casualties?” Nobody asked, with a hint of wry humor.

            Leo laughed shortly.  “You know my brother well.”

            “I know Tsunami.  Those two together . . . .”   He left the rest unsaid.

            Leo remained silent, a strange mixture of feelings moving through him as they waited for Ruffington to give away his location.  The inside of the warehouse was cavernous and completely full of items awaiting shipment.  A maze of trails moved between stacks of cargo, and so far the only signs of life they’d seen was three gun-toting guards making a beeline for the outer door after the Domeoids made their appearance.

            There had been no chance to process Raphael’s news about his relationship with Tsunami and this wasn’t the time to attempt to do so, but Leo’s mind kept replaying his brother’s words.  His possessive and extremely mercurial Raphael was the last brother Leo would ever suspect of taking a lover.

            It seemed to be having a positive effect on him.  Raph had made an actual apology to Leo while they were back in the sewer tunnel, a first in recorded history.  Leo was glad for that change; maybe Tsunami had found a way to help Raph understand his emotions rather than simply reacting to them.

            Leo could have used some help in that area himself.  Hunting like this with Nobody was bringing back memories of a time before they had proclaimed their feelings for one another.  That time had been so much simpler and so incredibly rewarding.  Leo wished they could find a way to recapture that period so that he could have his friend back.

            Ruffington’s voice cut into his thoughts and Leo pulled himself back into the present.  He saw Nobody’s form go rigid at the sound, and Leo’s hand darted out automatically to grip his friend’s arm.  Nobody didn’t move; the hand was unnecessary but Leo wasn’t taking any chances now that he fully understood how much hatred the dark vigilante had for the man who had ruined his career.

            From the flow of the conversation, Leo concluded that Ruffington was talking on the phone.  As the man drew near, the hidden duo could hear parts of the exchange.

            “I told you that I have this situation under control,” Ruffington said, hints of both anger and frustration coming through in his tone.

            A moment of silence was followed by, “Don’t threaten me!  The cargo was ready hours ago; it was your ship that didn’t arrive on time.  All of this interference could have been avoided.”

            The sound of three sets of footsteps drew near and Leo could feel the quiver that ran through Nobody.  From their position, they could see Ruffington as he walked past them, closely followed by his two bodyguards.

            “I don’t know how many are out there, I haven’t heard back from my men since I’ve been on the phone with you,” Ruffington said, his tone growing petulant.

            Another pause; and Ruffington stopped just a few feet away from Leo and Nobody.  They had a good view of the man’s face; his expression tight with suppressed fury.

            “Fine.  Since you’re almost here this discussion was pointless.  See for yourself what’s going on; I need to finish loading the crates,” Ruffington said with finality and snapped his phone closed.

            Spinning on his heel he marched off, the guards directly behind him.

            Nobody turned his head a bit, catching a glimpse of Leo out of the corner of his eye.  Leo pulled his hand back slowly, sensing that his friend wasn’t going to do anything sudden or rash.

            “We need to know what he did with that briefcase,” Nobody whispered.  “I want to find something in writing that will tie him in to this operation; something concrete that his money and his friends can’t buy him out of.”

            “Then let’s follow him,” Leo said quietly, rising to his feet.

            The pair matched each other in their soundless pursuit, shadowing Ruffington and his guards with practiced ease.  Months of working together had given them the ability to move in tandem without the need for discussion.

            Ruffington set a fast pace through the maze, heading directly towards the back of the building.  Periodically, sounds of shooting could be heard along with the occasional pained yell.  Leo was listening carefully, but none of the shouts sounded like his family, so he could only  assume they were holding off Ruffington’s forces.

            Within minutes a small, caged area came into view.  Inside was a folding table and a metal chair.  The only other thing inside the enclosed space was a laptop computer and Ruffington’s open briefcase, both sitting on top of  the table.

            The sight of the briefcase made Nobody momentarily careless, and his arm brushed against a small box, the scraping sound it made as it slid off another box echoing loudly in the warehouse.

            With lightning fast reflexes, Leo caught the box before it could hit the ground, but the initial sound froze Ruffington and his bodyguards.

            Ducking low, Leo and Nobody hugged the nearby crates and held their breath.  They were close together, and Leo could feel the quiver that ran through Nobody, as well as the body heat he radiated.  The remembered warmth of being in the man’s arms flooded back, and Leo pushed the memory away.

            “Did you hear that?” Ruffington asked his men.

            “Yeah, boss,” one of them answered.  “I think it came from outside.”

            “Could be rats,” the other one offered.  “This place is full of ‘em.  Big suckers.”

            Ruffington glared at them and held a hand up for them to be silent.  His head cocked to the side as though listening, Ruffington waited for a slow count of twenty before shrugging and turning back towards the cage.

            Nobody twisted around to face Leo, his masked face inches from the Turtle’s.

            “I’m going after Ruffington and that briefcase.”  Nobody looked up to indicate the rafters overhead.  “He shouldn’t see me coming until it’s too late.  The two bodyguards are yours.”

            Leo nodded in silent agreement and moved out to the end of the row of crates.  Nobody lifted his arm toward the rafters and launched one of his wrist fed grappling hooks into the support beams.  Tugging once to test that it was secure, he quickly disappeared overhead.

            Once Nobody was out of sight, Leo leaped silently to the top of a pile of crates, moving from stack to stack until he was in position.  Squatting like a bird of prey, he waited for Nobody to make the first move as a signal to begin.

            “Ruffington!”  Nobody’s deep voice shot out of the darkness and Ruffington spun around wildly.

            One of the bodyguards reached for the gun in his shoulder holster and Leo leaped on him, using his body weight to drive the guard to the ground.  His katanas out, Leo heard the click of the safety release on the second guard’s weapon, and sprang to the side as the gun was leveled at him.

            A quick diving roll brought him close enough to swing his blade up under the barrel of the gun, shearing the barrel off.  The guard looked stunned for a moment, and then his training kicked in and he tossed the ruined weapon aside in order to make a grab at Leo.

            Ruffington was shouting something that Leo didn’t quite catch, but from the corner of his eye, he saw Nobody swing down from the rafters and plow directly into his nemesis.  Ruffington hit the floor on his back and slid several feet as Nobody released his guide line, landing gracefully a few feet in front of the man.

            The first bodyguard was trying to stand up, his face a bloody mess from having been smashed into the floor by Leo’s surprise attack.  He was looking around for his gun, which had flown from his hand when he hit the ground.

            Leo ducked under the punch that was leveled at his head by the second guard.  Rising and turning his body to the side simultaneously, Leo lifted his right leg and thrust his foot into the man’s abdomen, putting his body weight into the side kick.

            An explosion of air was forced from his target and the guard went down, his face a bright red and his arms folded over his midriff.  Leo pulled his leg back down and hopped to the side as the first guard dove at him.

            Seeing Nobody’s fast approach, Ruffington began to scoot backwards, trying to leverage himself to a standing position.  His eyes were darting from side to side, looking for something he could use as a weapon.

            Nobody reached down and caught Ruffington’s shirt front, twisting the material tightly in his fist as he yanked the man partway off of the floor.

            “You aren’t getting out of prison this time, Ruffington,” Nobody told him in a low growl.

            Ruffington kicked wildly, catching Nobody’s outer thigh muscle with the heel of his foot.  Nobody grunted at the painful blow, but didn’t release his captive, though he tipped to one side slightly.

            Taking advantage of the dark man’s imbalance, Ruffington swung a fist at Nobody’s face.  When Nobody blocked the blow, Ruffington kicked again, catching the vigilante’s knee on the leg he was using to support the majority of his weight.

            Nobody stumbled back and Ruffington grabbed the wrist on the hand that held his shirt, forcing Nobody to release his grip.  Dropping back onto the floor, Ruffington rolled away from the dark man.

            A back flip took Leo away from the guard’s rush, and the man’s momentum carried him a few feet further, sending him crashing into a stack of crates.  Spotting a crowbar lying across one, the guard snatched it up and turned back to the costumed green man, determined to peel him out of his turtle suit.

            Leo crouched and waited, conscious of the second guard who was writhing in pain on the floor behind him.  The first guard charged at the green man, the crowbar swinging from side to side as the guard attempted to connect with some portion of his adversary’s anatomy.

            Springing up and away, Leo dodged the guard, infuriating the man further.  The heavy crowbar was dragging him down, and he was breathing heavily as he became clumsier with each passing moment.

            With a loud cry of frustration, the man came in low, aiming for Leonardo’s legs.  Instead of moving away Leo waited, judging the speed with which the guard was traveling and noting his poor balance.

            Just as the man reached him, Leo spun sideways and brought both hands down on the guards back, shoving him forward as hard as he could.  Unable to stop his momentum, the man gave out a shrill yell as he saw the face of his fellow bodyguard staring up at him.

            The two collided with a resounding thud; the first guards crowbar bouncing off the other’s skull with a dull _crack_.  The second bodyguard dropped into unconsciousness and the first man, tangled in the other guard’s feet, fell head first onto the concrete floor.

            Nobody darted after Ruffington, his eyes glued to the man as he pulled himself into a crawling position.  Scrambling to avoid Nobody, Ruffington noticed something protruding from beneath a floor pallet and recognized it as a gun.

            Throwing himself face down, Ruffington grabbed at the weapon, his fingers making contact just as Nobody reached him.  Turning onto his side, he pulled the gun up and fired.

            Nobody saw the weapon a split second before the muzzle was leveled at him and jumped to the side as the blast of the gun assaulted his ears.  He heard the bullet whip past him, and then he dove behind a large crate.

            Ruffington pushed himself to his feet, the gun out in front of his body as he scanned the area for Nobody.

            “I won’t be going to prison again, freak,” Ruffington hissed from between clenched teeth.  “You have screwed up my operation for the last time.  I’m going to put a bullet in your head and do the same to any of your friends who tries to interfere with me.”

            Nobody shifted his weight to the balls of his feet, and dashed across an opening to get behind a crate that was a little closer to Ruffington.  The movement drew Ruffington’s gunfire, pinning Nobody down.

            “Got you now,” Ruffington said.  “Up, sideways, doesn’t matter.  As soon as you move, I’m going to blast your head off.”

            Leo heard the gunfire as he leaned over the guards to check their vital signs.  Jerking upright, he began to run toward the sound, dread making him more fleet footed than usual.

            Coming out into an open space from between stacks of boxes, Leo nearly ran headlong into Ruffington.

            The man saw movement and swung his pistol around, the barrel pointed directly at Leo’s plastron.  Leo stopped abruptly, his hands gripping his katanas tightly; too far away to destroy the gun, too close to move  aside before Ruffington could shoot him.

            Ruffington grinned evilly, his finger tightening slightly on the trigger.

            “Guess what dark man?  I have your green friend in my sights and he has nowhere to go.  If you aren’t out here by the count of three, I’m going to kill him,” Ruffington said in a loud voice.

            Leo turned his head, following Ruffington’s eyes towards a stack of crates.  He guessed that Nobody was hiding there and had no way of knowing if his friend was hurt, but could only hope that Nobody would not come out as Ruffington had demanded.

            “One!” Ruffington shouted.

            Nobody reached into his glove and yanked loose the small gas canister that was sewn into the lining.

            “Two!” Ruffington called, straightening his arm and leveling his weapon at Leo.

            “I’m coming out,” Nobody said, rising from behind the crate that hid him, the canister hidden in his palm.

            Ruffington smiled wolfishly.  “Three!”

            Nobody leaped towards Leonardo and simultaneously threw the canister directly at Ruffington.  Smoke billowed out as it spiraled in the air, and Ruffington’s arm jerked off center as he pulled the trigger.

            Hitting Leo’s side, Nobody went sprawling across the floor with the Turtle beneath him.  Sliding on his carapace, Leo was shoved back behind some heavy wooden boxes.

            Ruffington fired again as his quarry disappeared from view, and then shouted in frustration.

            Nobody lay on top of Leo, his cloak spread out around them.  Looking down into the ninja’s face, he saw his own reflection in the warm amber eyes of his greatest love.

            “Are you all right?” Nobody asked in a low tone.

            Leo nodded, acutely aware of the man’s body covering his own.  “Yes.  Now we’re even again since you’ve just saved my life.”

            “I wasn’t really counting,” Nobody said with a small hitch in his voice.

            The pained sound immediately caught Leo’s attention.  “Were you hit?” he asked abruptly.

            “He got my vest,” Nobody told him.  “Hurts like a bitch, but I’ll live.”

            Ruffington fired again and they heard the bullet ricochet off the box above them.  Then the sound of a hammer striking an empty chamber came to them, along with Ruffington’s low curse.

            “He’s empty,” Leo said.

            Ruffington threw the gun at the boxes where Nobody and Leo were hiding, and began running towards the caged area.

            With a grunt, Nobody started to rise, but Leo’s hands came up to grip his arms firmly.

            “Let go, we have to catch him before he gets away,” Nobody said.

            “Show me where you were hit,” Leo insisted.

            Nobody stared down at him, the feeling of those strong green hands on his arms nearly driving Ruffington from his mind.  Tipping back a little, he reached down to pull his shirt partway up, showing Leo the indentation on his vest, just above his rib cage.

            “Satisfied?” he asked as he pulled his shirt back down.

            “Yes,” Leo said, letting Nobody stand up.

            Reaching down to the Turtle, Nobody gripped his arm and pulled Leo to his feet.

            “I’m glad you cared enough to ask,” Nobody said, the tone of his voice taking away any thought that his words might be meant as sarcasm.

            “You’re still my best friend,” Leo told him quietly.

            Nobody turned quickly so that Leo couldn’t read his eyes.  He knew those words shouldn’t have hurt him after everything they’d been through, but they did nevertheless.

            Trying to concentrate on where Ruffington was at the moment, Nobody was unable to keep that sentence from echoing in his head.

            “ _Friend_ ,” Nobody thought as he darted out into the open warehouse.  “ _Just a friend_.”


	77. JF77 Tic-Tac-Toe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 2,114  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Searching for contraband, the duo of Don and Mikey do not allow danger to interfere with their banter.

            As soon as the Domeoids had drawn off the armed guards, Don and Mikey darted out from behind one of the security booths where they had been hiding.  Making it across an open area of the docks without being spotted, both of them stopped next to a large shipping container while Don quickly pulled out his laptop.

            With agile fingers, he brought up the cargo ship’s manifest that he’d hacked into earlier.  Glancing at the numbers stamped on the side of the container, Donny scanned through the entries logged into the manifest.

            Meanwhile his brother kept his eyes open to make sure no one discovered them.  There was a lot of shouting and shooting going on, a good portion of it coming from the direction of the docked ship.

            When Mike heard a loud splashing sound, he peered around the edge of the container and saw a giant wall of water rolling over itself right next to the cargo ship.  The ship itself was barely visible, having sunk so low that the hull could not be seen.

            “I guess we don’t need to worry about Raph and Tsunami,” Mikey said with a grin.

            “That means they’ve split off from Leo and Nobody,” Don responded absently, his eyes now focused skyward.

            “Checking on your boyfriend?” Mikey asked.

            “Looking for our search pattern,” Don answered, ignoring Mikey’s teasing tone.

            The ship yard was full of containers, all fairly identical.  Each was numbered and Don was hoping to lessen their search by discovering some pattern in the numbers that would identify those containing weapons.  That meant, of course, that they’d have to open some of the containers first.  They certainly were not going to find stickers on the containers that said “contents: illegal guns and ammunition”.

            The best way to conduct their search, Don decided, was by laying down a grid pattern.  With Raptarr’s overhead view, they had determined that he would direct them by section in their hunt.  Raptarr could do this and still maintain a look out for approaching vehicles; the authorities or Hun being at the top of the list of those they needed to watch for.

            Mikey shifted the bolt cutters he held from hand to hand, trying to wait patiently.  Don could look up and see his lover; Mikey on the other hand had lost track of Nano and Ananda as soon as the two Turtles made their way onto the dock.

            “Well?” Mikey finally asked.

            Don nodded.  “This one is on the manifest.”  He set the laptop on the ground and dug into his bag, emerging with a can of spray paint.  “Here,” he said, tossing the paint to Michelangelo and taking the bolt cutters from him.  “I’ll cut the lock and you mark the top.”

            “Right.  An ‘X’ if it belongs to the bad guys and an ‘O’ if it’s clean,” Mikey said.  “Sorta like a giant game of tic-tac-toe.”

            “Ye~ah,” Don commented, wondering how his youngest brother could turn everything into some kind of game.

            Using the bolt cutters on the massive lock took some effort, and Donatello realized that if they had to cut the locks off of very many of these containers, he was going to be pretty damn sore before the day was done.

            Mikey grabbed one of the double doors and Don the other as they opened up the container.  Ducking inside, Don looked at the crates stacked within, noting that none of them matched the ones that were in the sub-basement of the office building.

            “It’s clear,” Don called out to Mikey after he had made his way to the very back of the container to ensure nothing was hidden there.

            Taking a step back, Mikey sprang upwards, his strong leg muscles carrying him with ease to the top of the container.  Shaking the can of paint, he popped the top off and drew a giant ‘O’ on the metal.

            Don came out of the container and automatically glanced up.  He didn’t see Raptarr though but wasn’t alarmed by that.  His lover was making large loops between the ship yard and the streets that led towards the docks.

            When he brought his eyes down, he found himself looking into a twin set of gun barrels.

            “We got one of them,” one of the men told the other.

            “The boss doesn’t want ‘im; he said shoot on sight,” the second man said.

            Hearing voices, Mikey peered over the edge of the container and saw Don’s predicament.  Gauging the distance and the angle, Mikey backed up and then took a running leap.

            Don saw the flash of orange and dove in the opposite direction as the sea green ninja slammed his foot into the first man’s arm, driving his weapon away from Don and pushing the man’s body into his partner.  The second man pulled the trigger, but his weapon discharged harmlessly into the dock.

            Mikey’s leap carried him just past the first man, and his feet barely touched down before he sprang into a spinning back kick, his foot connecting with his target’s chest.  The man grunted as the blow lifted him off of his feet and sent him crashing into the metal shipping container.

            In a single movement, Mikey brought his leg and body down underneath the swinging arm of the second gunman.  The ninja’s hand doubled into a solid wedge and Mikey drove his fist into the man’s gut.

            The man bent at the waist and took several steps backward, gun still in hand.  Unable to stand up straight, he settled for lifting his arm in an attempt to target the swiftly moving green man.

            That’s when Raptarr swooped down from the sky to catch the gunman’s shoulders with his clawed toes and then he lifted the man off of the ground.

            With a shout, the surprised man dropped his gun and scrabbled at the feet that were holding him.  Raptarr’s response was to lift him higher, his strong wings moving him and his captive out over the water.

            Don jumped up and went to check on the man Mikey had kicked.  He was completely unconscious, a giant lump forming on the side of his head.

            Mikey gingerly picked up both of the guns.  Between the two of them, Don and Mikey removed the bullet clip and then destroyed the weapons using the bolt cutters.

            A powerful overhand swing sent the clips into the water and the disabled guns followed immediately.

            Mikey was grinning as Don retrieved his laptop and bag.  They had both watched Raptarr fling his screaming victim into the middle of the harbor before returning to his patrol.  As he passed overhead, he pressed a kiss to his palm and turned it down to Donatello.

            “Shut up, Mikey,” Don said automatically, his face aflame.

            “Do you think you could get him to do that flying in the air thingy with me sometime?  ‘Cause seriously dude, that looked like fun,” Mikey couldn’t resist saying.

            “Not to the guy he just tossed into the water,” Don said.  He heard a beep in his earpiece and quickly answered, “Do you see something?”

            _“Only you Donatello.  You fill my eyes,”_ Raptarr told him.

            Don blushed furiously and glanced over to make sure Mikey was far enough away to not catch what Raptarr had said.

            “Thanks for the save,” Don said.  “We’re going to move on to the next container.  I can still see Domeoids flying around; how are Nano and Ananda doing?”  He knew Mikey would want to know.

            _“He is shielding her from Ruffington’s men.  The Domeoids did not draw attention to her, but when she took control of the dock crane they spotted her.  Some of the unlucky ones even tried to get past Nano to get to her,”_ Raptarr said with a laugh.

            Mikey was staring at him expectantly, and Don told him, “Raptarr said they are both just fine.  Ananda has control of the dock crane.” 

            At his brother’s relieved nod, Don went back to his conversation with Raptarr.  “No sign of the police or Hun yet?” he asked.

            _“None.  I don’t believe there is anyone here who would wish to call for the authorities.  I will continue to watch for them and for anyone else who tries to engage you and Mikey,”_ Raptarr said.

            “Okay.  Hopefully this will be over soon,” Don replied.

            _“Be careful, Donatello.  I love you,”_ Raptarr said.

            Knowing full well what kind of grief Mikey would give him for saying it, Don told his lover, “I love you too.”

            When he looked up, he saw Mikey standing in front of him with a smile nearly splitting his face in half.

            Shaking his head, Don said, “Let’s just open the next container.”

            Since Don was clearly expecting it, Mikey didn’t say any of the dozen or so things that had popped into his head.  Knowing that at some point those words would probably slip out of his mouth when he was talking to Nano and that Don never forgot anything, Mikey felt it prudent not to tease his brother.

            Slipping over to the next container, they repeated the same process they had used on the first, striking pay dirt with this search.  Mikey dutifully painted an X on top of the container and hopped down to stand next to Don as he highlighted the container’s number in the manifest.

            “You know,” Mikey said, “we should have volunteered Nano for this job.  He could have searched a bunch of containers all at once without having to bust ‘em open.”

            Don couldn’t help a grin as he said, “You would have had to pry him off of your girlfriend first.”

            “Ha, ha,” Mikey retorted.  “You’re just jealous ‘cause I have two and you only have one.”

            “I only need the one,” Don said pointedly.  “Just what are you going to do with Ananda anyway?  I hope you aren’t just leading her on because Nano is obviously infatuated with the idea of having a family.”

            They were prying open the third container in the line and Mikey told him, “I’m not.”  He grunted as the door at first refused to budge, and then popped open suddenly.  “I really like her.  I mean, I really, really like her to where I get that same weird feeling in my stomach when she’s close to me that I get from Nano.”

            Donny’s voice was muffled by the interior of the container as he asked, “What the shell do you know about being with a woman anyway?”

            Mikey paused in his answer, listening as a round of gunfire sounded from inside one of the warehouses.  When the sounds tapered off, he said, “What did I know about sex the first time we got together Donatello?  I managed to figure that out.”

            “Yes you did,” Don appeared in the doorway of the container, “and my rear was sore for a week.”

            “Well, sor~ry,” Mikey said.  “If I had known about lube I’d have used some.  It wasn’t as though you were much help.  ‘X’ or ‘O’?”

            “This gets an ‘O’.  It’s clean,” Don answered.  “And I’m pretty sure I told you to wait until we got back to the lair, but you were in too big a hurry.”

            Mikey grinned down at him from atop the container.  “My dick was about to burst dude.  I’d already spent two hours watching your cute ass as we climbed up and down ladders and all I could think about was all those great sounds you made when Raph was in your room.  Besides, I’ve watched enough porn now to know that women produce their own lube.”

            “That’s just disgusting,” Don said, making notes in his laptop.

            Mikey flipped backwards off of the container, landing soundlessly and asked, “What, sex with a woman?”

            “No,” Don told him.  “The idea of _you_ having sex with a woman.”

            “See dude, you are jealous,” Mikey said, laughing.

            The click in his headset told Don that Raptarr was calling again.

            “Raptarr, is everything okay?” Don asked immediately.

            _“I have seen a large black limousine coming towards your position,”_ Raptarr said.  _“It will arrive in a matter of moments.”_

            “Shell,” Don breathed out.  “That’s Hun.  Stay sharp Raptarr; that man is one very bad person.  I’d better phone Raphael.”

            _“I will let Nano and Ananda know what is happening.  Be safe my love,”_ Raptarr told him before the communication ended.

            “What, no ‘I love you’ this time?” Mikey asked as Don pulled his shell cell out of his belt.

            “I love you, Mikey,” Don said with a grin just before Raph answered.

            “Back at you bro’” Mikey responded, picking up Don’s bag for him as they moved on to the next container.


	78. JF78 Ananda

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 2,778  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Ananda gets the chance to show her chops as she and Nano battle Ruffington's thugs.

            Ananda’s reaction to Michelangelo’s kiss was to become totally and completely flustered.

            All she could do when he released her was stare at him in amazement.  That kiss from a giant, mutated turtle was the most fantastic, erotic thing that had ever happened to her.  The residual feel of his tongue inside of her mouth warmed Ananda’s entire body, some areas a lot more than others.

            From the look on his face, he knew it too.  It was that cocky confidence that made her want to leap right back into Mikey’s arms to allow him to show her what else he was capable of doing.

            Somehow her mind managed to register Nano telling Mikey he would take care of her and that she was now family.  A little part of her wanted to protest against them not giving her a say so in the decision, but the rest of her told it to shut the hell up.

            Because Ananda wanted to be with Mikey and Nano.  Down to the very core of her being she knew she had finally found the right love, the only love that would work perfectly for a woman who was part machine, part human and a mutant heroine to boot.

            Before she had a chance to say anything more, Mikey and Don were driving away.  Ana had a final glimpse of Mikey’s face as he looked at her in the rear view mirror and smiled.

            _“Please don’t let anything happen to him,”_ Ana prayed, hoping there was some higher form capable of arranging such things and that it was willing to heed her call.

            “We must get into position,” Nano said, interrupting her thoughts.

            “Yes,” she agreed, not really registering his words until she felt his arms wrap around her body.

            “What  . . . ?” she yelped as he lifted her off of the ground.

            Nano was moving towards the building Mikey had indicated, going so fast that everything flashing past Ana’s eyes was a blur.  She couldn’t even tell if he was running, the movement was so seamless that he could have been rolling forward for all she knew.

            Clinging tightly to his shoulders, Ana watched his approach to the building with some trepidation.  That this was the second time he was carrying her to a rooftop didn’t ease the anticipatory chill.

            She felt herself being lifted skyward and shifted her grip so that her arms were tightly clasped behind Nano’s neck.  When she glanced at his face, she saw that he was smiling.

            Ana had a moment to think that she really liked his smile and then they were on the rooftop.  Nano carried her to the edge so that they could survey the shipyard.  The activity below them was frenetic; something of the worker’s agitation could be felt by how silent and grim everyone was behaving.

            “I think a lot of those men are scared,” Ana whispered to Nano.

            “We should be careful that innocents are not injured during our fight,” Nano said.

            “I’m certainly going to try,” Ana said with determination.

            She noticed then that he was still holding her, and that she still had her arms firmly locked around his neck.  Releasing her grip slowly, she took the opportunity to stroke her palms across his upper body.  Ana could almost feel the tiny nanobots shift beneath her touch.

            Nano was watching her carefully, studying her movements as he continued to hold her.  Ana knew that if she opened her mind and let him in she would know what he was thinking, but then he would also know what was going through her mind as well.  Ananda wasn’t quite ready for that yet.

            “I think it’s been five minutes, Nano.  You should let me down so I can call the Domeoids,” Ana said.

            Nano didn’t seem to want to let her go, his hands tightening ever so slightly and his eyes fixed on her face.  Ana smiled up at him, finding herself transfixed by the new emotions she could see in his reaction.  It gave her a kind of joy that she’d never felt before.

            Ana finally blinked and pulled herself back to the task at hand.  Wriggling a bit, she coaxed Nano into setting her feet on the rooftop.  His arms, however, stayed firmly fixed around her waist.

            “I must stay close to protect you,” Nano said, his voice low and full of purpose.

            Pressed against his chest, Ananda could feel his body shift slightly to mold itself around her breasts.  It was a strange feeling, as though somehow he was becoming a second skin, something that fit her perfectly.

            And then she felt a movement inside of her uniform and remembered the tiny nanobot that resided against the flesh of her bosom.  It was apparently seeking its host and the tiny tickling sensation made her blush furiously.

            “N-Nano,” she said just a little breathlessly, “I need to concentrate now.  Let me go, okay?  I’m safe enough if you are next to me.”

            Finally he nodded and released her.  Ana stepped back from him and turned around, placing her fingertips to her dome and sending out the call to her Domeoids.

            Within seconds a small contingent of her robots was flying overhead, coming in from two directions.  Those that passed over the ship split into two divisions, a set of them heading towards the warehouse, the other group remaining over the dock.

            The ones that passed by above she and Nano split into two groups as well, one set engaging the guards in the shipyard, the other group rolling out over the secondary buildings.

            It was only a matter of moments before Ruffington’s people began to show themselves, firing their weapons and shouting to one another.  Shipyard and dock workers began to scurry in different directions, anxious to get out of the line of fire as the guards seemed to have a total disregard for where they aimed their weapons.

            Ananda concentrated her attack on those guards firing from the taller vantage points; directing her Domeoids to collect their weapons first before they managed to hit a person with their bullets.

            One of the men refused to relinquish his weapon, cursing and tugging at his rifle as two Domeoids attempted to wrench it from his hands.  He pulled the trigger and fired point-blank directly into the center of one of the Domeoids.

            The little robot flew backwards in a shower of sparks and Ana squeezed her eyes in pain.

            “Oh,” she murmured, head down as the Domeoid plummeted to the ground, its flashing dome light extinguishing upon impact.

            “Ananda,” Nano called out, gripping her shoulder.  “Are you hurt?”

            She shook her head, returning her mind to the other robots under her control.  “No, I’m okay Nano,” she told him.  “I can always feel it when one of them ‘dies’.”

            “I am sorry,” Nano said as he moved closer to her, retaining his grip on her shoulder.

            Ananda felt immensely stronger with Nano so near, relishing his reassuring touch.  She focused her attention on the Domeoid who still struggled for the guard’s weapon.  Instructing it to fly backwards, the strong little robot pulled the guard inextricably towards the edge of the roof.

            “Let go, let go, let go,” Ananda murmured under her breath, expecting the guard to release his hold on the rifle as he felt himself pulled towards the deadly drop.

            The guard wouldn’t let go.  His finger found the trigger once more and he fired, but his bullet only grazed the Domeoid. 

            “Ananda,” Nano said, watching as the guard struggled with her Domeoid on the very edge of the roof.

            “If I let him go he’ll shoot at Mikey,” Ananda said decisively.  “He’s made his choice.”

            The Domeoid yanked hard on the barrel of the rifle, and the guard, still refusing to let go, teetered on the roof’s edge and then toppled over.

            His loud scream was cut off by a sickening thud as he landed right next to the downed Domeoid.  Ananda sucked in a deep breath, shaking a little at the inevitable outcome, and then sent her Domeoid out to deposit the rifle in the bay.

            “Tsunami is taking control of the ship,” Nano told her, drawing her attention back to the shipyard.

            Looking out towards that section of the dock, Ana could see the blue mutant directing a water wall around the ship, and the flashing movement of emerald green near the bollards as Raph interrupted the worker’s attempts to cast off the mooring lines.

            “I wish I could see Mikey,” Ana fretted, her eyes darting over the area of the shipyard nearest them.

            “Do not worry Ana,” Nano said with assurance.  “Mikey has much experience with this type of thing.”

            “I know that Nano,” Ana responded with a quick smile.  “That isn’t going to stop me from worrying about him.  It’s sort of a woman thing.”

            “Ah,” Nano said.  “I am most intrigued to learn more about these ‘women things’.”

            Ananda laughed.  “My goodness, Nano.  Was that a double entendre?  You are growing more surprising with each passing day.”

            “I hope that is a good thing to you Ana.”  Nano smiled at her and the look sent butterfly’s flitting around in her stomach.

             A shout caught her attention and she looked down to see a worker run across to the dock crane and climb into the cabin.  The boom began to move and Ananda saw that the operator was preparing to hook one of the shipping containers.

            She wasn’t sure if his intent was to continue to load the ship, or to drop the container on top of Tsunami; either way it didn’t really matter to Ana.  Her job was to take control of that crane.

            Issuing a final set of instructions to the Domeoids, Ananda turned her attention to the computerized cockpit located in the cabin of that crane.

            Her first command halted the movement of the boom and retracted the hoist rope.  She could sense the man inside of the cabin attempting to regain control, but her powers locked him out.

            Completely flustered, the man jumped up from his seat and stood in the doorway of the cabin, looking all around the shipyard.  His eyes finally moved up to the tops of the buildings, where they soon found Nano and Ananda.

            Shouting loudly, he drew the attention of several of Ruffington’s men.  When they rushed towards him, he pointed up at the pair of Justice Force members and began gesticulating wildly.

            “I think we’ve been spotted,” Ana said in a light tone, almost singing the words.

            One of the men put his rifle up to his shoulder and sighted along the barrel, aiming directly for Ananda.

            Before she had a chance to react, Nano was suddenly all around her, his body shifting and changing into an all-encompassing cocoon.  The tiny nanobots swirled and rolled before Ana’s eyes, their colors shifting as they formed an impenetrable tapestry.

            The boom of the rifle was the only indication that she had been fired upon.  The bullet met a solid wall of nanobots and splattered harmlessly against them.

            Ananda felt a thrill of excitement course through her system as Nano deflected yet another round of rifle fire.  She never considered herself to be an adrenaline junky but the surge she was getting from it was certainly intoxicating.

            Focusing her mind on the dock crane, Ananda opened it fully so that she could communicate with Nano.  She heard him relay the information about Tsunami’s control of the ship to Leonardo and then he was inside her head.

            _“Leonardo and Nobody are inside the warehouse looking for Ruffington,”_ Nano told her, his body completely morphed around hers.

            _“Then I’d best do something about his car so he can’t get away from them,”_ Ana said.  _“Which one do you suppose it is?”_

            There were three cars parked close to the warehouse, all of them four door sedan models, dark in color.  All exactly the type of vehicle that Ruffington would drive to avoid notice.

            _“I think it would be best if you were to disable all three,”_ Nano told her, his logic inescapable.

            As she directed the swing of the dock crane’s boom around to the parked cars, Ananda caught a movement out of her peripheral vision.  Three armed men were climbing over the ledge of the rooftop she and Nano were on.

            Ana didn’t need to call Nano’s attention to them, she discovered immediately.  She felt the change in the nanobots that were around her; seeing the colors shift from rainbow hues into darker reds and blacks.

            What transpired next seemed to occur in slow motion.  Sections of Nano’s form split off from the cocoon that was protecting Ananda and shot out over the low rooftop.  All three men began firing at the fast moving trail of nanobots coming at them, the bullets passing through the ever fluctuating flow and ricocheting off of the building.

            When the nanobots reached the first man, they swarmed up his legs like hungry ants.  He fired again and again into the midst of tiny robots, doing absolutely no harm to them.  And then he was screaming.

            The nanobots had just reached the second man when the first began reacting with bloodcurdling screeches to the flow of nanobots constricting themselves tightly around his legs.  Frantically twisting his body in an attempt to run, the second man tripped when the robots held his feet firmly to the rooftop.

            Nano directed his collective to cover the men completely, the cocoon similar in appearance to the protective one around Ananda.  These nanobots, however, were driven by a set of  emotions Nano had never experienced before, anger and retribution.

            The third man backed up quickly, his rifle up as he began firing as quickly as he could at Ananda.  Panicking, he was positive that the tiny horde chasing him was being controlled by the woman from the Justice Force.

            Ananda could feel Nano’s rage when the third man started to fire his weapon at her.  Turning her head, she saw the line of nanobots lift up from the rooftop and form themselves into a gigantic hand, the palm of it catching every bullet the man fired.

            She heard Nano’s voice then, loud and deep.

            “You will not hurt my Ananda!” Nano shouted at him just before the giant hand smashed down on top of the man.

            A moment of silence, and then the nanobots slowly pulled back, leaving all three men flat and unmoving on the rooftop.  The tiny robots quickly disassembled their weapons, leaving the parts strewn around the unconscious men.

            As Nano’s colors began to shift back to normal, Ana felt tears begin to prick the corners of her eyes.  She was immersed in a feeling of pride and attraction for Nano; he had not only showed her a set of emotions she never realized he was capable of feeling, but he had called her ‘my Ananda’.

            Eyes shining, Ananda released the crane hook, sending it punching with unerring accuracy through the windshield of the first car in the line.  Lifting the vehicle off of the ground, she swung the boom around quickly, whipping the hoist rope back and then slamming the boom to a halt.  The rope snapped forward in a giant rendition of ‘crack the whip’, the car flying off of the hook, sailing through the air, and landing in the bay with a loud splash.

            Following the car’s arc with her eyes, Ana saw Raptarr fly over.  He snapped a salute at the pair and with an excited grin, Ana went after the second car.

            A minute later, Ana felt arms move around her waist and then the fluttering of what she knew were Nano’s lips touching her neck.  Tipping her head to the side, she sent the second car into the bay while Nano caressed her skin lovingly.

            “Nano,” she whispered out loud, becoming thoroughly aroused at his ambitious move.

            “Ananda,” Nano said softly into her ear.  “You will always be safe with Michelangelo and me.”

            Ana smiled.  “Because you’re my family now,” she replied joyously.

            She felt him press against her back, molding himself to her form as he had done earlier.  Riding a wave of ecstasy, Ananda banished the third car into the watery deep.

            “When we have completed this mission,” Nano said in a voice full of intent, “I will introduce you to Mikey’s heat.  It is very special.”

            Ana had no idea what that meant, but the uncontrollable shiver that ran through her frame was an indication that her body understood.  The promise of those words seemed to be a very good thing indeed.


	79. JF79 High Speed Chase

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 3,373  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Leo and Nobody are in hot pursuit of Ruffington, who uses every ploy possible to escape.

            “Do you see him?” Nobody called out.

            “Cage,” Leo answered, jumping to catch up to Nobody.  “He’s going for his briefcase.”

            Dodging obstacles as he ran, Nobody finally got to a point where he could see into the enclosed area.  Ruffington was in the process of removing a thumb drive from his laptop.  Dropping it into the briefcase, Ruffington looked up and caught a glimpse of Nobody’s cloak.

            The hand that was inside the briefcase came out holding a gun.

            “Watch it, he’s got another weapon!” Nobody shouted.

            Leo leaped to the top of a crate as Ruffington’s arm swept around in an attempt to target him.  Nobody spun sideways, his back slamming into a large shipping container just as Ruffington fired in his direction.

            Nobody leaned out slightly, catching sight of Ruffington, who was still inside the cage.  The man snapped the briefcase closed and then shoved the laptop to the floor.  As it smashed into the concrete, Ruffington fired a bullet into it and then made a dive for the door.

            “Shit,” Nobody said just loud enough for Leo to hear him.  “That’s a Glock .40 with an extension.  He could easily have over twenty rounds.”

            As if to emphasize that point, a bullet clipped the edge of the container Nobody was hiding behind.

            Ruffington started to run, cutting back behind a row of parked forklifts.  From his vantage point, Leo could see an exit sign over an open door.

            “He’s going out, Nobody,” Leo said excitedly, pointing towards Ruffington’s departing back.

            Nobody looked up at Leo to get a directional fix and then he moved out from behind his cover.

            Hearing the dark vigilante’s pursuit, Ruffington fired another shot over his shoulder, not bothering to turn and aim.  Nobody dropped low and heard the whistle of the bullet as it passed over his head.  A flash of green to his upper left told him that Leo had joined the chase.

            Nobody grinned despite the seriousness of the situation.  The Turtle was fast, damned fast; the unspoken challenge to see who could capture the largest number of perpetrators spurring him on.  It had become a competitive game between the two of them.

            He wasn’t going to let Leo get Ruffington though.  That was a privilege that Nobody reserved all for himself.

            Launching a cable into the rafters, Nobody swung skyward, letting his forward momentum take him in an arc over Leo’s head.

            Leo saw the blur of black and red as it swept past him and almost laughed aloud with the exhilaration of the chase.

            Ruffington made it to the door and dashed out into the open.  Jamming the gun into his waistband so he could dig out his car keys, Ruffington barely slowed down.

            Turning a corner of the building he saw the trunk of his car just ahead.  Before he could press the button that would unlock it, the loud crash of broken glass brought him to a knee jarring halt.

            His car shuddered and then rose off of the ground, lifted by a hook and cable from the dock crane.  Eyes wide, Ruffington watched his escape vehicle fly off into the bay.

            “Fuck!” he yelled out, his eyes darting left and right.

            There were no other cars around and for a moment Ruffington froze, until he remembered he still had another option.

            Nobody dropped down next to the door just a moment before Leo hopped off of a nearby crate.  They stood on opposite sides of the doorframe and Nobody edged his head around to take a look outside.

            Ruffington was nowhere in sight, but both Nobody and Leo heard the loudly shouted expletive.

            “I don’t think he remembers where he parked his car,” Nobody said with a short laugh.

            “I think his car was parked in a towing zone,” Leo responded with a rare smile.

            This time Nobody allowed himself to enjoy the grin that captured his face.  With a quick nod to his partner, Nobody and Leo darted outside, their movements choreographed by the teamwork of numerous other chases.

            “He’s on the dock side,” Nobody muttered, keeping his voice down until they knew exactly where Ruffington and his Glock were located.

            Together, he and Leo hugged the side of the building, sliding along single file until they reached the corner.  Mindful of Ruffington’s weapon, Nobody once more eased his way into a viewing position.

            He spotted Ruffington running across the shipyard, his briefcase clutched to his chest.  Domeoids were flashing by overhead and workers were running about frantically seeking a safe hiding place.

            There was still a number of Ruffington’s men scattered around, all engaged in the fight against the Justice Force and Turtle teams.

            “He’s headed towards the water,” Nobody said.

            “Another car?” Leo asked, turning to check behind them.  Getting shot in the back wasn’t at the top of his list of fun.

            “Probably a boat,” Nobody answered.  “We need to catch him before he finds one.”

            “Obstacles?”  Leo dropped down low, inching forward to see around Nobody.

            Nobody laughed shortly.  “Lots of them.  By the numbers?”

            Leo nodded.  “Yep.  You call it.”

            Taking a breath, Nobody said, “Fast as you can, twelve o’clock.”

            Moving swiftly, the pair raced away from the warehouse towards a cluster of shipping crates that were directly in front of them.  They reached them without being spotted and slid to a stop, using the crates as a screen.

            “Eleven o’clock, man with a rifle.  Then up ten yards at ten o’clock,” Nobody said.

            Leo looked up at the sky, watching a Domeoid fly over them.  “He’ll be distracted, go now.”

            Nobody burst out from around the crate, running low.  Leo matched him, his eyes focused on the man ahead of them, who was shooting at the Domeoid.

            Ruffington’s man didn’t hear the pair coming at him until it was too late.  His eyes opened wide as Nobody pounced on him, driving him to the ground.  Leo yanked his weapon out of his hand as Nobody slammed a hard fist into the man’s face, rendering him unconscious.

            Without a word, the pair covered the ten yards to their next hiding spot behind the forklift.  Leo swung the rifle against the metal frame of the machine, breaking the weapon into several pieces.

            “He’s going for that small side pier,” Nobody said as he spotted Ruffington.

            “How many guards?” Leo asked.

            “Two.  He just said something to them,” Nobody said, glancing over his shoulder at Leo.  “Probably told them to shoot us on sight.”

            Leo grinned and reached into his belt, extracting two shuriken.

            Seeing the shuriken, Nobody asked, “How close do you need to be to hit them with those?”

            Leo gauged the distance from the forklift to where the men were standing next to a control booth.

            “I could hit them from here,” Leo said, “but I’d prefer to get closer so I can place the shuriken.”  Laughing, Leo added, “Raph could hit their hands from here.”

            Nobody kept his eyes on the men.  “First time I’ve ever heard you admit your brother can do something better than you.”

            “Throwing things is sort of his specialty,” Leo replied.

            “Thirty yards at ten o’clock with no cover.  They’ll spot us in five,” Nobody said.

            “Another five before they bring their weapons around.  That’s close enough,” Leo told him.

            “You take left, I’ll take right,” Nobody said.  “Ready?  Go.”

            Coming out from behind the cover of the forklift, Nobody and Leo raced as quickly and silently as they could towards Ruffington’s guards.  Just as Nobody predicted, the movement drew their eyes, and both men spun towards the oncoming attackers.

            Leo threw both shuriken simultaneously.  His aim was true, the sharp spikes of metal pierced the men’s hands and both screamed in pain, dropping their rifles.

            Holding his injured hand against his stomach, the man on the right scrabbled to grab the rifle with his other hand.  His head came up to see Nobody coming straight at him just as he grabbed the rifle’s stock.

            With no time to go for the trigger, the man swung the rifle like a club at Nobody’s head.  Nobody ducked under the arc of the rifle and tackled the man around his waist, lifting him off his feet and throwing him down on the dock.

            The man on the left ignored his fallen weapon, instead reaching into his waistband to pull a switchblade.  Flicking the knife open, he jabbed at Leo’s midsection.

            Leo spun sideways, grabbing the man’s wrist and arm as he avoided the knife.  Jerking the man forward, Leo brought a knee up as he yanked the man’s arm down.  The collision between the two was accompanied by a loud snap as the man’s arm broke in two places and the knife fell on the ground.

            Cursing, the man tried to kick Leo, but the Turtle rolled in towards the guard’s body, turning a hip and shoulder into the guard’s main body mass.  Continuing to pull downwards on the arm, Leo tossed the man head over heels, slamming him with incredible force into the dock.

            Both guards were out cold as Leo turned and grabbed up their rifles.  Spinning around, he saw Ananda and Nano on top of one of the buildings.  Holding the rifles up so she could see them, Leo waited until he saw one of the Domeoids approaching, and then he tossed the weapons into the air.

            The Domeoid caught both rifles and flew away.

            “Ruffington,” Nobody said, already running towards the steps that led down to the small pier.

            Just as they reached the top step, they heard the sound of an outboard motor.  Pausing with one foot on the stair, Nobody looked out over the water to see Ruffington speeding away.

            “Dammit!” Nobody shouted in frustration.

            “Down here,” Leo called up to him.

            When Nobody looked towards his friend’s voice, he saw that Leonardo hadn’t bothered with the stairs.  He was standing next to a small speedboat, releasing the mooring lines that held it securely to the dock.

            Nobody leaped down to join him, clambering into the boat as Leo released the last line.  Tossing the rope into the boat, Leo jumped in and shoved them away from the pier.

            “I hope you know how to get it started without keys,” Leo said.  “That’s usually Donny’s specialty.”

            Nobody had already pulled the access panel loose and was twisting wires together.  The engine kicked over and came to life with a roar.

            “I was a New York City detective, Leo!” Nobody shouted over the engine noise as he sped after Ruffington.  “I can hot wire anything.”

            Leo moved up to stand next to Nobody as his friend steered the speedboat in an arc to avoid Ruffington’s wake.  Pushing the handle forward, Nobody accelerated, determined to catch the man.

            Grabbing onto the railing to steady himself, Leo bent his knees slightly to take the shock of the boat’s bow bouncing as Nobody increased the speed to almost full throttle.  Within a few minutes the bow leveled out and they were riding on top of the water.

            Ruffington looked back and saw the pursuing craft.  Leaning over his controls, he pushed his boat to its highest speed, trying to outdistance the speedboat that was behind him.

            Cutting across the bay, Ruffington tried to change direction quickly, causing his boat to bounce and lose speed.  Unfamiliar with operating a speedboat, he began to lose ground to the more expert pilot who was on his tail.

            “Can you get up next to him?” Leo yelled.

            Nobody did a double take as he saw Leo braced on the side of the boat.

            “You aren’t going to jump across,” Nobody announced in his firmest voice.

            “Would you rather slam into him?” Leo asked.  “He isn’t going to stop unless we stop him.”

            “That isn’t safe,” Nobody told him, pulling back on the handle and decelerating a bit.

            “Just get up next to him, Nobody.  I’ve been doing this kind of thing since I was ten,” Leo said.

            “Dammit,” Nobody said through gritted teeth as he accelerated once more.

            They were starting to come up on some commercial ships and if Nobody didn’t act soon, they’d be dodging a lot of other crafts in their high speed chase.  He envisioned a panicked Ruffington slamming his speedboat into another boat and killing the occupants.

            Ruffington saw that Nobody was gaining on him and grabbed his gun off the dashboard in front of him.  With one hand on the wheel, Ruffington turned partway around and fired at the pursuing vessel.

            Nobody decelerated quickly and pulled the boat aside as several more shots rang out.  Cutting across Ruffington’s wake, he accelerated again, once more gaining on the other man’s boat.

            “Shit, Leo!  He’ll shoot you before you get a chance to leap over!” Nobody called out.

            Leo pulled his last shuriken from his belt.  “Not if I get him first.  Keep going; get me alongside him.”

            “Crazy; this is crazy,” Nobody muttered under his breath as he sped up.

            Ruffington set his gun down so he could increase his own speed and then realized that Nobody was already alongside of him.  Reaching frantically for his weapon, Ruffington didn’t see Leo’s arm go back.

            The metal missile flew across the intervening space between racing speedboats and embedded itself deeply in Ruffington’s right bicep. 

            Screaming loudly, Ruffington lost his hold on the steering wheel momentarily and his boat careened towards Nobody’s.  Reaching down to regain control, Ruffington pulled his boat away from the other one, but not before Leonardo leaped.

            Landing nimbly into the craft just behind Ruffington, Leo darted towards the man, yanking him away from the controls.  Spinning around, Ruffington’s hand came up with the gun and he attempted to slam the butt against the side of Leo’s head.

            Seeing the gun at the last second, Leo twisted back away from Ruffington and the weapon only grazed him.  Momentarily stunned, Leo dropped down low and kicked sideways into Ruffington’s knee.

            With no one at the controls, the boat began to slow down.  Juggling the gun so he could get his finger on the trigger, Ruffington fell as Leo caught his knee with the hard kick.  The boat jerked as it hit the wake of Nobody’s boat, and Leo braced himself on all fours to keep from sliding back.

            Nobody watched the battle in the other speedboat and saw Ruffington pull himself up using the guard rail. Leaning against it for support, he switched the gun from his injured arm to the other.

            With a burst of speed, Nobody cut across the front of Ruffington’s boat once more, sending a large wave against the bow.  The boat plunged skyward as it collided with the hard edge of water and Ruffington dropped the gun.

            Throwing himself into the bottom of the boat, Ruffington made a dive for the gun.  Leo saw the gun land and lunged into a forward roll, grabbing the gun from under Ruffington’s fingertips.

            Standing up to fling the gun overboard, Leo spotted the briefcase on one of the seats.  At that second, Ruffington jumped towards the Turtle, slamming a shoulder into Leo’s carapace and sending him over the side of the boat.

            Leo’s hand swept down and caught the handle of the briefcase as he was forced out of the boat and into the choppy water of the bay.

            “No!” Ruffington yelled at the top of his lungs, rushing to the side to see Leo bob above the waves with the briefcase in his hands.

            “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Ruffington muttered over and over.

            Holding his injured arm tight up against his side, Ruffington stumbled back to the boat’s controls and pushed the handle forward to increase his speed.  Grabbing the steering wheel with his good hand, Ruffington swung the boat around and made straight for Leo.

            Nobody was on the opposite side of Ruffington’s craft when he saw Leo go overboard.  Turning his boat as quickly as possible, he watched with horror as Ruffington  bore down on his friend.

            “Ruffington!” Nobody shouted at the top of his lungs, aiming directly at the side of the other man’s boat.

            Ruffington looked up when he heard Nobody’s cry and saw the dark vigilante coming towards him.  With a curse, he spun the wheel as fast as he could, careening away from Nobody.

            The front edge of Nobody’s speedboat clipped the side of Ruffington’s craft and slid up, scraping the hull as it went.  The collision tore a gaping hole in the bow of Nobody’s ship and it began taking on water at an alarming rate.

            Ruffington’s boat was leaking as well; several holes gauged into the sides.  He looked out across the water and didn’t see the green costumed freak or his briefcase anywhere, and hoping that both were occupying the bottom of the bay, he sped away while his boat was still operational.

            Nobody cut the motor on his speedboat and ran to the side, trying to find Leo.  His friend was nowhere to be seen, and Nobody dove overboard.

            Frantically searching the dark water, Nobody swam in ever widening circles, surfacing for air before diving back under again.  The water was so churned up and murky, Nobody realized he wouldn’t be able to see Leonardo even if the Turtle were a couple of feet in front of him.

            Coming back to the surface, a thoroughly frightened Nobody shouted, “Leonardo!”

            “You don’t need to shout, I’m right here,” Leo said.

            Spinning around, Nobody saw his friend leaning on top of the floating briefcase.  Leo coughed a couple of times, spitting water out of his mouth, and then he grinned.

            “Shit,” Nobody said in a voice deeply full of emotion.  Swimming to Leo’s side, he put an arm around the front of his friend’s plastron, and touched the top of his head to the back of Leo’s.

            “Your language is getting to be as bad as Raphael’s,” Leo said mildly, not attempting to pull away from Nobody’s embrace.

            “Are you hurt?” Nobody asked, ignoring the mild jibe.

            “No, I just drank a little more water than I really wanted to,” Leo told him.

            Nobody released him and floated around so he could see Leo’s face.  His friend was watching him with a somewhat guarded expression, and Nobody’s pounding heart skipped a beat.

            “Ruffington got away,” Nobody said, rather needlessly.

            Leo nodded, pretending not to notice the look in Nobody’s eyes.  He refused to let even the tiniest spark reignite.

            “He won’t go far,” Leo said.  “As soon as you turn over the proof of his involvement with those illegal weapons, every law enforcement agency from the harbor patrol to homeland security will be after him.”

            Nobody looked over towards their boat.  It was already half under water.

            “I guess we swim back,” Nobody said.  “You up for it?”

            Leo allowed himself a small smile.  “I’m a turtle, what do you think?”

            They took turns pulling the briefcase along with them as they swam.  Looking towards the pier, they noticed that the Domeoid activity had died down to almost nothing, and that the cargo ship was practically dry docked.

            Aiming for the closest ladder, Nobody and Leo climbed up to the pier and flopped down on their backs, the briefcase between them.  Both were breathing heavily from the long swim and neither spoke for several minutes.

            “I hope the contents of this case didn’t get too soaked,” Leo said, rolling over and getting up on his knees as his lifted the briefcase.  Water began pouring out of its sides.

            Nobody moved as well, his eyes on the case.  “That thumb drive is the most important thing in there, and it should be okay if we can plug it in to a computer quickly enough to copy the information before there’s any erosion.”

            “Let’s find Donny then and . . . .”  Leo broke off as he looked up into the barrels of several guns.

            Nobody turned his head when Leo stopped talking and spotted the weapons that were leveled at his head.  Lifting his eyes higher, he saw Hun standing in front of him, armed men on either side of him.

            Grinning hugely, Hun said, “I’ll take that briefcase.”


	80. JF80 Bad Company

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 2,479  
> Rated: R  
> Summary: Hun arrives on the scene, bringing with him a little unwelcome surprise.

            Raph returned to the forecastle of the ship after taking care of the sniper that had tried to shoot Tsunami.  Tsunami didn’t see what Raph had done to the man but he had, with great satisfaction, heard the man’s bloodcurdling scream.

            Even though the ship was sitting low in the water, Raph still had a good view of the shipyard from his vantage point.  After Don’s message that Raptarr had spotted Hun’s limousine, Raphael was on the lookout for their arch enemy.

            He saw the long stretch limo pull into the shipyard and park near the warehouse.  Raph had put on his headset after Don’s phone call and he heard the others alerting one another to Hun’s presence.  The only ones who didn’t acknowledge the warning were Leo and Nobody.

            “We got some bad company Tsu,” Raph called down from his perch.  “Looks like Hun’s arrived.”

            “Quite a bit of his cargo has already been loaded.  He is probably going to want this ship,” Tsunami pointed out in a mild tone.

            Raph laughed shortly.  “Oh yeah?  Well he ain’t getting it.”

            “He is certainly not going to take it if he’s by himself,” Tsunami said.

            Raph watched as the back door of the limousine swung open.  It had been a while since his last altercation with Hun, and although the man was trying hard to move up in the world, Raphael still considered him to be nothing but a street thug.

            It wasn’t Hun who stepped out of the vehicle though.  It was a Purple Dragon gang member and he wasn’t alone.

            The rest of the doors flew open and a dozen armed Dragons leaped from the limousine.  Two of them carried Triceraton blasters.

            “Shit!” Raph yelled.  “Watch it Tsu, it ain’t Hun, it’s his fucking gang and they’re carrying Blasters.  Those damn things will cut right through your water shield.”

            Tsunami dropped to one knee so that he would be a smaller target, his devil-may-care attitude replaced by one of caution.

            “I remember them well,” Tsunami called back, “and not at all fondly.  I’d like to point out that if they move in this direction I am a sitting duck.”

            “Hang on,” Raph said.  “I’m gonna tie those loosened lines back off and ya’ can let the water go.  I’ve got the crew locked up below decks and I jammed the lock on the door ta the bridge so nobody can get in.”

            Tsunami saw Raph’s head disappear and then a moment later his emerald green lover was on the pier, tying the loosened mooring lines securely to the bollards.  Raph moved fast, but the sound of machine guns and blasters reached them before the Turtle was half done.

            Above the sound of the weapons Raph heard the high whine of two speedboats.  Whoever was in those boats had cleared the area before Hun’s men opened fire.

            Raph had a pretty good idea that Leo was in one of those boats.  Since his brother was apparently out of communication with the rest of the group, Raph hoped he’d have his eyes open when he came back to the pier.

            “Shoot those damn things!” the lead Dragon yelled to his men, who immediately began to fire on Ananda’s Domeoids.

            The dock crane swung over their heads, its big hook smashing into one of the men and sending him flying.  As it came back in a high arc, the rest of them ducked and scattered.

            “Blast it!” the lead man shouted.

            “I can’t; it’s moving too fast, I’ll hit the warehouse,” one of the Blaster carriers said.

            Another of the men pointed towards the dock crane’s cabin.  “Destroy the controls.”

            Swinging the Blaster around, the man fired at the body of the crane.  The scream of metal rent the air as the cabin melted and the crane began to collapse.

            “Find the rest of the cargo,” the leader directed, pointing towards a man with a Blaster and a half dozen of the other men.  “Shoot anybody that gets in your way.  You three come with me.”

            He took the other Blaster carrier along with two other men and turned with purposeful steps towards the ship.

            “I can’t shoot near the ship,” the Blaster carrier warned.

            Raph could hear them clearly as he tightened the last line.  When his head came up to locate the Dragons, one of them spotted him.

            “It’s one of those green freaks!” the man shouted, turning his machine gun’s sights on Raph.

            With nowhere else to hide, Raph threw himself flat behind the stubby metal bollard just as the man opened fire.

            Bullets bounced off the metal and whizzed past Raph’s head, keeping him pinned. 

            “Don’t hit the damn ship!” the leader yelled.

            “I ain’t,” the man said, pausing momentarily.  “Give me a second and we’ll see if that thing’s blood is red or green.”

            The words barely left his mouth when a giant fist made of water slammed into him, driving him down on the dock.  His head hit the solid boards and bounced; his gun sliding off the edge of the pier and into the water.

            Raph cursed under his breath.  Tsunami might have just saved Raph’s life, but the blue mutant had also called attention to himself.

            “Blast that one,” the leader ordered.  “He’s holding the ship.”

            At the word blast, the Triceraton weapon was turned towards Tsunami.

            “Let the water go, Tsunami!” Raph bellowed at the top of his lungs.

            Tsunami was caught in a quandary; he couldn’t just let the water fall, it would flood the ship and kill the men trapped below decks.  Dropping it slowly meant getting his ass shot off; literally.

            Concentrating as much of his force as he could manage, Tsunami spun a web of water in front of himself; layering it into the thickest water shield he’d ever created.  The power required to hold and maintain it began to drain him, and he quickly turned his attention to lowering the water wall from the side of the cargo ship.

            Raph came up on his knees; momentarily forgotten by the Dragons.  He saw the shield Tsunami had raised while also directing the water wall to slowly collapse in on itself and understood his lover’s dilemma.

            He also understood that Tsunami was becoming exhausted and was no match for the Triceraton Blaster.

            Tsunami’s shield came up barely a millisecond before the man fired.  The Blaster’s ray hit the water with a loud sizzle, the light burst burning through each layer of the shield.  Unable to stop the weapon, the water slowed it enough for Tsunami to leap aside.

            Rolling on the dock, Tsunami came up on his knees, one hand outstretched to retain his power over the slowly receding water wall.  He was breathing hard; his neck stiff and head pounding as he overworked his abilities.  Summoning his final reserve of energy, he called the water to him once more, lifting another shield to replace the first.

            The man fired again, hitting the second shield dead center.  Releasing what was left of the water wall, Tsunami swept around with his other hand, bringing another layer of water behind the first as a buttress.

            The Blaster punched through the water, and though its strength was greatly diminished, it was still powerful enough to slam Tsunami backwards. 

            “NO!” Raph shouted, watching his lover topple over and land near the water’s edge, his head striking one of the protruding bollards.

            Flipping his sai over, Raph grabbed the tip and threw it with all his might at the Blaster.  Sailing true, the sai sank into the heart of the Triceraton weapon.

            Sparks flew in all directions and before the Dragons could move, the Blaster blew apart.

            The man holding the weapon was torn into small pieces; his body parts coming down with wet slaps on the pier.  The Dragon leader’s head was almost completely severed by a large piece of metal, and the other Dragon was peppered by enough hot shrapnel that cauterized holes marked the points where his body was pierced.

            The final thunderous release of the wall of water had the ship rocking against the pier, but it was intact and not flooded.

            Raph ran to where Tsunami lay.  His lover’s eyes were closed and he wasn’t moving when Raph reached him.  Pressing a finger to Tsunami’s neck, Raph could feel the beat of the blue mutant’s pulse.

            Gently lifting Tsunami’s head, Raph examined the spot where he had hit the bollard.  Tsunami grunted and started to stir, his eyelids flickering before opening just a fraction and then sliding closed once more.

            “Come on Tsu, stay with me,” Raph said, sitting next to his lover and shifting Tsunami’s body partway onto his lap.  “Remember that trip around the world ya’ promised me?  Ya’ ain’t getting off the hook now.”

            Tsunami’s voice came out low and hoarse as he whispered, “Is that how you say yes?”

            Raph’s grin cut across his face; gold eyes gleaming brilliantly.  “Damn ya’ got a hard head!”

            Blue eyes opening to focus on Raph’s face leaning over him, Tsunami managed a small smile.  “I could take that two ways.”

            “Take this instead,” Raph told him, lowering his mouth to Tsunami’s. 

            For a long moment the pair simply drank from each other, tongues twining together as Raph released his anxiety and Tsunami unleashed his joy.

            The deep note of a Triceraton Blaster recalled them to the current situation and Raph pulled back to look over his shoulder.

            “Go help the others; even Nano is no match for that Blaster,” Tsunami said.

            “I ain’t leaving ya’,” Raph told him.

            “You have no choice,” Tsunami insisted.  “My battery has to recharge and your family needs you.  Lower me into the water; I’ll be fine.”

            “Dammit Tsu . . . .” Raph started to say, but Tsunami placed two fingers on his lips.

            “For once, can you please save this argument for later?” Tsunami asked.

            Raph scowled at him.  “Fine, but I don’t fucking like it.”

            “Protest duly noted,” Tsunami said with a chuckle, pulling his feet up.

            Raph slid out from under him and squatted, both arms under Tsunami as he prepared to lift him.  Tsunami placed a hand on Raph’s plastron and pushed against him.

            “What are you doing?” Tsunami asked in a stronger voice.

            “I’m carrying you over to the water,” Raph said in a no-nonsense tone.

            “You are not,” Tsunami said just as strongly.  “You may have given me a woman’s nickname, but you will not be hauling me around like one.  Help me stand up; I can walk to the water.”

            Machine guns could be heard firing from near the warehouse and Raph said, “Okay, okay.  Let’s go.”

            With an arm around Tsunami’s waist, Raph helped his lover limp to the edge of the pier.  Twisting his hands in Tsunami’s, Raphael lowered the blue mutant into the water.

            “Ya’ sure you’re okay in there?” Raph asked, his voice a husky growl.

            “You are kidding right?” Tsunami grinned up at him, his body floating comfortably on a layer of water.  “Do me a favor Raphael.”

            Raph squatted on the edge of the pier.  “Name it,” he said.

            “Don’t get killed; I’ve already got a good part of our trip planned,” Tsunami said.

            Raph laughed, waving a hand as he stood up and trotted off.

            “Donny, Donny, can ya’ hear me,” Raph said, reaching to tap on his headset.

            The earpiece came off in his hand; the other half long gone, probably when he had jumped away from the machine gun.  Having no idea where his family was, Raph broke into a run, keeping his body low to the ground to avoid notice.

            A black SUV was parked nearby, where none had been before.  Raph changed direction abruptly, moving back towards the water where a shipping container offered him cover.

            Studying the new vehicle, Raph heard a voice he would have recognized anywhere.

            “Hand over the briefcase freak, and no tricks, or my men will blast holes in both of you,” Hun said in a deep, mocking tone.

            Raph leaned around the end of the container and saw Hun leering at Leo and Nobody.  Four men stood next to the Purple Dragon’s boss, each holding a weapon and each weapon was aimed directly at the Turtle and his vigilante friend.

            _“This just keeps getting better and better,”_ Raph thought sarcastically.

            Knowing full well that Hun would never let Leo live, Raph reached into his belt and yanked out his shuriken.  With one sai melted in the Blaster explosion, Raph had to count on the three shuriken he carried to create enough of a diversion to allow his brother to get away.

            “You and Ruffington aren’t going to escape the law this time, Hun,” Nobody said.

            Hun laughed.  “The contents of that briefcase will net me a cool million and keep your precious justice as blind as she’s always been,” he said with a smirk.  “But if it’s any consolation, I’ve had enough of Ruffington’s screw ups.  I’ll take care of him just as permanently as I’m gonna take care of you two.”

            Raph threw his shuriken.  One sank into a man’s bicep, driving him sideways into the man standing next to him.  The second hit a gunman’s hand, making him drop the front end of his rifle.  He pulled the trigger as the rifle went down, blowing off his neighbor’s toe.

            The last shuriken bit into Hun’s shoulder.

            With a shout, Hun reached back and yanked the sharp metal star from his skin, his heavy muscle barely registering the intrusion.  Spinning to grab a gun out of one of his men’s hands, Hun struggled to bring the weapon back around to his two captives.

            As the gun came up, so did the triumphant grin on Hun’s face.  That’s when Leo threw the briefcase directly at him.

            Raph watched his brother fling himself towards Nobody, his arm outstretched to catch the vigilante across his chest.  The momentum of Leo’s dive carried he and Nobody off of the pier and back into the water.

            The rifleman shifted his grip and lifted the barrel with the back of his arm, swinging the weapon towards Raph’s hiding place.  As he pulled the trigger, Raph twisted his head and shoulder back behind the container.  Metal fragments flew up from the corner of the box as the bullet ripped into it.

            Raph leaped to the top of the shipping container with a single bound, plastering himself flat on top of it and scooting to the edge to look down.  The rifleman was staring at the spot Raph had just occupied, while Hun and the rest of his men dashed to the edge of the pier.

            Looking down into the water, Hun snarled, “Shoot them!”

            Raph had no opportunity to move before Hun’s men opened fire straight down at Leo and Nobody.


	81. JF81 Under Attack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 2,133  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: The Purple Dragons are determined to retrieve Hun's cargo. The Justice Force is just as determined that doesn't happen.

            Michelangelo and Donatello watched from the safety of their hiding place behind a stack of crates as Hun’s limo rolled to a stop.

            When the doors flew open, Mikey’s eyes widened and he leaned closer to his brother.

            “Dude, Hun’s not in that car,” he whispered.

            Don glanced at him and then back at the limo.  “Yes Mikey, I can see that for myself,” Don said in a low, semi-sarcastic voice.  “Do you see what _is_ in that car?”

            “Yeah,” Mikey replied in as grim a tone as Don had ever heard from the fun loving Turtle.  “Triceraton Blasters; two of them.”

            In his headset, Don heard Raph’s warning shout to Tsunami and knew his red banded brother had seen the limo’s occupants.  Switching frequencies, Don attempted to reach Leo once more, but as before there was no answer.

            “I hope like shell that Leo’s paying attention,” Don told Mikey.

            Mikey grabbed Don’s arm, his voice sounding urgent as he said, “Call Nano, quick.  He can’t protect Ana from that Blaster and he might try.”

            Don nodded, switching frequencies again.  “Nano, a limo just pulled up.  It’s full of Purple Dragons and they have Triceraton Blasters.  You and Ana should get out of there.”

            Don heard Nano relay the information to Ananda and he also heard the fading sound of Ana’s voice as she yelled, _“We have to protect him!”_

            _“Tell Michelangelo that Ana is afraid for him.  I will try to persuade her to leave,”_ Nano relayed before the transmission ended.

            Approaching from several directions at once, Ananda’s Domeoids began sweeping across the sky above the limousine.

            “Shoot those damn things!” one of the Dragons yelled and the men carrying rifles immediately began firing.

            “What the shell is she doing?” Mikey whispered, his tone harsh.

            “She won’t leave,” Don said.  “Nano told me she’s trying to protect you.”

            “If Nano doesn’t get her down from there, both of them are gonna get killed,” Mikey said frantically.

            Nano joined Ana on the edge of the warehouse roof just as she lost two of her Domeoids to rifle fire.  Nano touched her arm, knowing how painful it was for her when a Domeoid ‘died’.

            The face she turned to him was more angry than hurt.  “Monsters,” she hissed, “let’s see how they like this.”

            She touched a fingertip to her forehead and the dock crane sprang to life.  Swinging the extension jib over the Dragon’s heads, Ana sent the big hook attached to it smashing into one of the riflemen.  With a loud shriek he went flying, his body slamming into the side of the warehouse and crumpling into a broken mass as it slid to the ground.

            Ana spun the jib around and the hook flew in a high arc back over the Dragons.  The men ducked and dove apart as the hook raked across the top of the limo, plowing a huge trough into the metal.

            Mikey heard one of the men yell, “Blast it!”.

            The Turtle had watched with some pride as Ana removed one of their enemies from the battle in a fairly permanent fashion.  Her use of the dock crane was holding the rest at bay, but that was about to end.

            Ana’s connection to the dock crane’s controls was immediately cutoff as the Triceraton Blaster destroyed the machinery.  Nano was holding her arm as they both watched the main body of the crane melt into a blob of metal.

            Looking down towards the Dragons, they could see one man issuing orders and pointing at a Blaster carrier.  Then the lead Dragon sped off towards the cargo ship followed by three others, one of whom carried the second Blaster.

            Mikey and Don saw the four men heading for the cargo ship and then their eyes returned to the remaining half dozen men.

            “Most of the cargo is in containers,” one of the men said.

            “Yeah?  You ain’t getting close enough to find which ones have our stuff with those damn robots flying over our heads,” another man answered him, ducking down next to the damaged limo as a Domeoid buzzed his skull.

            A man who appeared to be the second in command pointed up to where they could all see Nano and Ana standing on the edge of the warehouse roof.

            “Get rid of them and you get rid of the robots,” he said in a deep baritone.

            The man carrying the Blaster stepped back and took aim at the Justice Force pair.  Mikey leaped to his feet and would have charged him if Don hadn’t latched onto his younger brother and yanked him back down.

            Nano saw the Blaster come up and he wrapped himself around Ana, lifting her bodily and flinging both of them away from the edge.  The Blaster hit the building where they had been standing and part of the roof melted away.

            The Dragon leader yelled, “Not with the fucking Blaster you idiot!  Some of our shit might still be in that warehouse.”

            “Don’t you recognize that robot?” one of the men asked him.  “That’s the nanobot thing that can change shapes.  The rifles ain’t gonna do crap ta him.”

            “Then two of you get up on that roof and take Carl and his Blaster with you.”  Turning to the man he called Carl, he said, “You make sure you aim that thing at those two and not the building, ‘cause I’m gonna be inside.  You understand me?”

            “Yeah, man.  Let’s just hurry this up; I don’t wanna be here when the cops finally show,” Carl answered him.

            As Mikey and Don watched, Carl and two other men headed for the staircase that would take them to the roof.  They saw that the leader and one man were going into the warehouse, while a final man stood guard.

            Behind them, the pair of Turtles could hear sounds of rifles and the other Blaster.

            “Tell Nano that those guys are coming up to the roof,” Mikey said quickly.

            Don was already relaying the information.  When he finished, he asked Mikey, “What should we do?  Raph and Tsunami sound like they have their hands full.”

            “Raph’s fine,” Mikey assured him, positive that his psycho brother and the water spirit were more than a match for the Dragons.  “We have to put that other Blaster out of commission before they manage to kill Nano and Ana.”

            “They need to get down,” Don said.  “Nano should grab Ana and get off of that roof.”

            “And go where?” Mikey asked.  “As soon as they touch the ground, the guard over there will call attention to them and down here they’re sitting ducks for the Blaster.”

            The man standing guard fired at another Domeoid as it whizzed past.

            “They’re sitting ducks on that rooftop too,” Don pointed out.

            Before Mikey had a chance to retort, Raptarr flew overhead.  His arms were filled with large chunks of broken concrete and he was headed straight for the men climbing onto the roof of the warehouse.

            The guard caught sight of him and fired, but Raptarr tipped sidewise, away from the bullets.  He was over his target before the Dragons looked up and he immediately bombarded them.

            Two of the men leaped for the roof and rolled out of the way of the falling debris.  The third man was at the top of the stairs when the concrete hit him.

            The mass of heavy stone crushed the man and ripped the stairs loose from their moorings.  The entire thing swung out from the building and the weight pulled the rest of the brackets away from the wall, sending the metal staircase crashing to the ground.

            Unfortunately, Carl had made it to the safety of the roof.  Rolling onto his back, he took aim at Raptarr with the Blaster and opened fire.

            “No!” Don shouted as Raptarr changed direction to avoid the blast.

            The Blaster’s laser just caught the edge of one of his wings and Raptarr cried out, spiraling downwards and out of sight.

            Don grabbed at his microphone, his hands shaking as he switched to Raptarr’s frequency.  Mikey had his eyes glued on the guard, afraid that Don’s shout might have given away their position, but the man apparently hadn’t heard him.

            “Raptarr!  Raptarr!  Answer me, are you all right?  Please, Raptarr,” Don was calling over and over, trying to keep his voice down as he attempted to reach his lover.

            “Don,” Mikey grabbed his brother’s bicep, pulling his attention back to the warehouse.

            A dozen Domeoids suddenly converged on the area.  As the two men with rifles opened up on them, Raptarr flew up from a different direction, further away from the rooftop.  His wing had a deep gash across the top that was still smoking from the fire caused by the laser, but otherwise he was intact.

            Spotting Mikey and Don from his overhead vantage point, Raptarr pointed to his ear and then swept his hand down and away from his head.  Don smiled with relief and nodded.

            “Something happened to his communicator,” Don translated for Mikey, whose attention was focused on the rooftop.

            “Ana’s got all of her remaining Domeoids here,” Mikey said.  “She’s trying to cover Raptarr.  He needs to get out of there, he’s an easy target for that Blaster.”

            Don lifted an arm and tried waving Raptarr off, but the winged man shook his head.  Pointing towards the roof, his lifted two fingers.

            “Shell,” Don said under his breath, “I don’t know if he means two of his people are trapped or that there are two remaining Dragons up there.”

            “You need to teach him sign language when this is over,” Mikey mumbled, watching Ana’s Domeoids dip and dive at the two Purple Dragons on the rooftop.

            Don switched his communication device over to connect with Nano.  “Raptarr’s communicator is gone and I can’t get him to leave.  What’s happening up there?”

            _“I have determined that the only suitable course of action is to retreat into the warehouse Donatello,”_ Nano said in his usual precise tone.  _“However, Ananda refuses to leave.  She is afraid the Blaster will be directed on you and Michelangelo next.”_

            Mikey’s head was close to Don’s and he heard everything Nano relayed to them.

            “Nano, you get her down from there.  Use force if you have to,” Mikey said with determination.

            _“I will do my best Michelangelo.  You must remember, if she wishes to, she can take control over my collective and I will be unable to comply with your request,”_ Nano told him.

            “Damn it,” Mikey cursed.  Trust his luck to fall for a woman who was nearly as stubborn as his brother Raphael.

            The brothers heard a sudden loud shout from the rooftop and their heads moved towards it simultaneously.  Carl had risen to his feet and he was aiming the Blaster at the squadron of Domeoids.

            Before their stunned eyes, Carl fired.  His first shot completely obliterated three Domeoids and Don heard Ana’s pained shout through his headset.

            “No!” Ana screamed, clutching her head as Carl fired again, destroying two more of her robotic creations.

            Nano wrapped himself around her.  They had taken cover behind a huge generator, trying to stay where the man named Carl could not easily see them.  Nano hoped the man was intelligent enough not to use the Blaster on the building itself, if for no other reason than self- preservation.  A collapsing roof would send Carl plummeting as well as everyone else.

            However, Nano did not have a high opinion of the thought processes of Purple Dragons.

            “Ana, we have to go now.  Michelangelo is quite safe and Raptarr will not leave until we do so.  Your Domeoids have done all they can,” Nano said softly.

            Another shot from the Blaster wiped out two more Domeoids and Ana turned wide, frightened eyes to Nano.

            “If we try to move away from here, they’ll see us.  You’ll try to protect me and that Blaster will destroy most of your collective,” she said.

            Before he could respond, Carl turned towards the generator.  The man with him shouted, “What the fuck are you doing?”

            Carl grinned maliciously.  “I’m gonna destroy the generator and those two Justice Force geeks who are hiding behind it.”

            “The roof  . . . .” the first man started to say.

            “If I aim high, it won’t do anything but melt into a puddle of molten steel,” Carl said.  “We’ll be fine.”

            Mikey saw Carl turning his Blaster towards his lovers hiding spot.  Pulling his nunchakus, Mikey crept around the side of the crates, his eyes on the rifle carrying guard.

            “What  . . . ?” Don started to ask.

            Mikey looked back at him.  “Time to stop watching and start fighting bro’.  It’s time to go ninja on these goons.”


	82. JF82 To The Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 2,607  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Don and Mikey accomplish what they set out to do and now race to render aid to the other half of the team.

            “Mikey, you’re going to get your tail shot off,” Don said as he watched his little brother eyeing the Purple Dragon guard.

            “I’ve gotta do something, Donny,” Mikey told him.  “If I don’t, Nano and Ana are gonna get fried by that Triceraton Blaster and most likely your boyfriend Raptarr will get his wings clipped permanently as well.”

            “Darting right out in front of a rifle carrying bad guy is not such a great plan,” Don retorted.

            Mikey grinned at him.  “It is if you’re a ninja and another ninja does something to distract that guard.”

            Don blinked twice and then a grin of his own blossomed on his face.  “I _was_ getting a little tired of sitting on the sidelines.”

            Digging into his belt as he stood up, Don extracted a couple of smoke pellets.  Mikey eyed them and then lifted an eye ridge.

            “That isn’t gonna do much good with the wind that’s blowing off the water, Don,” Mikey said.

            “It’s just to get his attention, Mikey,” Don explained.  “I’ll go around to the other side of the next set of crates before I toss these.  You move as soon as you see the smoke and don’t worry, I’ll be doing something to keep him focused long enough for you to reach him.”

            “I sure as shell hope that something doesn’t include you getting _your_ tail shot off,” Mikey quipped.

            “Absolutely not a part of the plan,” Don assured him before he crept away.

            Knowing that Mikey was poised and ready, Don pulled his bo staff and began striking the side of the large metal container that he was hiding behind.  The guard’s spin in Don’s direction turned the man partly away from Mikey’s approach route.

            Quickly judging the wind velocity and direction, Don tossed both smoke pellets so they would send a plume of smoke directly into the man’s eyes.  Then Don leaped to the top of one of the containers.

            As soon as the smoke came up, so did Mikey.  Springing from a crouch, he raced across the intervening space towards the man, both silent and fast.

            Don saw Mikey move out, but he also saw that the wind was going to carry the smoke away before his brother could reach his target.  Holding his bo staff like a javelin, Don threw it about ten feet to the left of the guard.

            When the bo hit the ground, the guard whipped around towards the sound and fired.  It was his last action of the day.

            Mikey struck with both nunchucks simultaneously, hitting the arm holding the rifle and also the back of the man’s head.  With a groan, the Purple Dragon thug collapsed into unconsciousness at Mikey’s feet.

            Don leapt off the container and swept up his bo staff, reaching Mikey’s side as his brother cracked open the rifle and emptied it of shells; then tossed the weapon into the ruined limo.

            Crouched against the side of the limo, Don was talking to Nano as Mikey rolled the man underneath the car.

            “Nano, hang on.  Mikey and I are coming.  You and Ana stay put,” Don said.

            _“We will do our best, Donatello,”_ Nano told him, his voice steady and calm.

            Nano was in fact, not as calm as he sounded.  Learning and understanding emotions had a downside, for he was experiencing what he could only quantify as ‘anxiety’.

            Ana was kneeling behind the generator, her fingertips pressed to her skull cap as she sacrificed two more Domeoids to the Triceraton Blaster.  She knew she was only delaying the inevitable; it wouldn’t be long before the man named Carl would turn that weapon back in their direction.

            As the Domeoids disintegrated into tiny particles of metal, Nano saw Raptarr soar into view.  With a sudden flash, Nano knew what he needed to do next.

            Lifting both of his arms into the air, Nano opened and closed his hands several times, watching to make sure Raptarr was looking at him.  Neither of the Purple Dragons had noticed Raptarr yet and they couldn’t see Nano behind the large piece of machinery.

            Raptarr’s head turned in Nano’s direction and when the nanobot knew he had the winged avenger’s attention, he pointed to Ana.  Once more he lifted both of his arms, opening and closing his hands before pointing to the woman kneeling in front of him.

            Nodding vigorously, Raptarr pulled his wings in and dove straight towards them.

            “Ana, stand up,” Nano said quickly.

            “Why . . .  what?” Ana asked, caught off guard.

            Nano grabbed her arm, lifting her to her feet as he watched Raptarr coming down so quickly that the white of his wings left a flash of color behind him.

            “Put your arms up,” Nano told her, his eyes on Raptarr’s approach.

            Ana turned to follow his line of sight and saw Raptarr.

            Understanding hit her.  “No, I won’t leave you,” she said adamantly.

            Nano had his hands around her waist, lifting her before she even finished the sentence.

            “Do not argue with me,” he said forcefully.  “Arms up now!”

            So surprised by Nano’s sudden show of authority, Ana lifted her arms without another word.

            As Nano elongated his limbs and lifted her high, Raptarr stretched out his hands and caught hold of Ananda’s.  Nano released her when Raptarr had a solid hold, turning to watch his winged cohort sweep his woman towards safety.

            “Blast them!” the man with Carl yelled, drawing Nano’s attention.

            A long stream of Nano’s collective left his body to race along the rooftop towards the two men.  The motion drew the rifleman’s attention and he shouted before he began shooting at the swarm of miniscule nanobots.

            Carl had been on the point of pressing the firing mechanism when his buddy shouted.  Swinging the Blaster away from Raptarr, he aimed it downwards at the nanobots and fired.

            As soon as he discharged the weapon he realized his mistake.  Releasing the trigger he jumped backwards as a hole opened up in the roof right in front of him.  His friend was not as fast, screaming and pin wheeling his arms as he teetered on the edge of the opening.

            Unable to right himself, the man fell to the floor thirty feet below with a loud _thump_.

            Most of the collective managed to elude the blast and Nano pulled them back into his body.  From his hiding spot behind the generator, he could see the crazed look on Carl’s face and understood from his studies of humans that the man was no longer rational.

            Mikey and Don were climbing up the side of the building when they saw Raptarr fly overhead carrying Ananda.  Mikey was about to express his relief when he heard the Blaster go off and the sound of a man screaming.

            “Oh shell!  Nano!” Mikey exclaimed and leaped for the next handhold, swiftly outpacing Donatello.

            “Mikey, be careful!” Don called after him, trying to catch up to his more agile sibling.

            They could hear other shouts coming from inside the warehouse as the pair quickly swarmed up the sides of the three story tall building.  Just as Mikey was about to leap over the edge, Don grabbed his ankle and pulled down on it to stop the impetuous move.

            “Let go Donny,” Mikey hissed at his brother.

            Don inched his way higher, not releasing Mikey’s leg.  “Look before you leap little brother,” he said.

            Mikey took a deep breath and nodded.  Don released Mikey’s ankle and pulled himself up next to his brother.  Side by side, they grabbed finger holds on the edge of the rooftop and peered over.

            Carl was standing on the outer rim of a fairly large hole in the warehouse roof, his Blaster turned towards the generator where Nano remained hidden.  As they watched, Carl started to laugh and then fired the weapon.

            Nano immediately flattened his entire body, spreading the nanobots onto the roof in a paint-like layer.  The generator in front of him began to melt and in seconds was nothing more than a pile of molten metal.

            The nanobot collective began to swarm towards the edge of the roof, intent on flowing over the sides like rain to escape the now completely maniacal Purple Dragon.

            “Ya’ can run but ya’ can’t hide!” Carl shouted at the glowing, undulating mass of nanobots.

            He began to walk around the roof opening, his eyes focused on Nano.

            “Gotta stop him before he shoots at Nano again,” Mikey said, starting to clamber over the edge.

            Once more Don reached out to stop him.  With a strong hand on Mikey’s shoulder, he said.  “That’s a distance of at least fifteen yards.  He’ll turn and fire at you before you get close enough to hit him with your nunchucks.”

            “So I’ll throw a couple of shuriken at him,” Mikey told his brother.

            “What happens if he fires that weapon when they hit him?” Don asked.  “There are people inside the warehouse Mikey.  Not just Purple Dragons either; a lot of the innocent dock hands fled inside to escape the gun fight.  If he blasts the roof again, he’s going to kill someone.”

            “If we don’t do something, he’s gonna chase Nano down and kill him,” Mikey pointed out frantically.

            “This situation calls for a weapon with the advantage of both distance and precision,” Don said, grinning.  Pulling his bo staff, he told Mikey, “Keep your head down.”

            Before Mikey could react, Don was on the roof and running towards Carl.  As silent as the Turtle was, Carl still sensed his approach and spun towards him, the Blaster aimed straight for Donatello’s midriff.

            Just as Carl’s finger touched the trigger, Don leaped forward and tucked into a roll, hitting the roof on his carapace.  The Blaster fired harmlessly into nothing directly over Don’s head.

            Don came up on one knee and jabbed at the back of Carl’s hand with the end of the bo staff.  The strike was solid; Don heard the gratifying sound of bones cracking under his onslaught.

            Carl shouted in pain and lost his grip on the Blaster.  It clattered to the roof and Carl hissed as he reached for it with his other hand.

            Don’s bo came down, the end snapping against the Blaster as though it were a billiard ball.  The Triceraton weapon slid out from under Carl’s questing fingers and went skittering across the rooftop.

            “Fuckin’ freak!” Carl yelled and jumped at Don.

            In one movement, Don was on his feet and his bo was spinning.  Sweeping it up in an arc, he caught the side of Carl’s neck with a solid blow, knocking the man off his feet.

            Hitting the ground on his shoulder, Carl rolled over and tried to scramble back up again, his face a mask of pure rage.  Before he even got one foot under him, Don slammed the bo staff against Carl’s temple and knocked him out cold.

            A flash of orange turned Don’s attention back to his brother.  Mikey raced across the roof to where Nano was reassembling himself and practically steamrolled the nanobot as Mikey reached for him.

            Hands on Nano’s chest, Mikey asked breathlessly, “Are you still in one piece?”

            Nano took the question literally and looked down at his body.  “Yes Mikey.  I have lost a few of my collective, but we are replicating ourselves to replace them.”

            Mikey started to laugh before planting a solid kiss to Nano’s mouth.  Nano wrapped his arms around Mikey’s carapace and enthusiastically returned the kiss.

            Don was walking towards them, his focus on an attempt to communicate with Raphael.  The only sound he was receiving from Raph’s shell cell was static.

            “I can’t reach Raph,” he told Mikey and Nano, breaking apart their passionate interlude.  “Leo still doesn’t answer.  Nano, can you get anything from either Tsunami or Nobody?”

            Nano tried his communicator but neither of the men answered.  “They are also offline,” he told Don.

            “I don’t hear anymore fighting over near the ship,” Don said.  “We should head over there and see what’s happening.”

            The sound of wings turned their eyes skyward as Raptarr swooped down to the rooftop to join them.

            “Is Ananda all right?” Mikey asked quickly.

            Raptarr nodded.  “She is in the truck monitoring the police scanner.  Ana said she will notify us if the police are coming or if she sees anyone else approach this area.  While I was carrying her to safety, I saw another vehicle pull onto the dock.  Hun and several armed men climbed out of it.  They were headed towards the ship when I lost sight of them.”

            “Raph and Tsunami aren’t in communication with us anymore,” Don told him.  “We can’t get through to Leo or Nobody either.”

            Raptarr pointed towards the water and said, “I saw Leo and Nobody in a speed boat earlier.  They were chasing another boat piloted by Ruffington.”

            Angry voices and the sounds of machine gunfire sounded from below them, followed by several frightened shouts.

            Mikey exchanged glances with Don as he said, “One Triceraton Blaster is still unaccounted for and two of Hun’s thugs are in this warehouse terrorizing a lot of innocent civilians.  I think Nano can take care of these two while the rest of us try to find out what Hun’s doing.”

            “I think that’s the best plan,” Don agreed.  Reaching into his duffel, he pulled another earpiece out and handed it to Raptarr.  “Try to stay out of range of that Blaster this time, okay?  We need our ‘eyes in the sky’ to be completely functional and I need you to stay safe.”

            Raptarr grinned as he fitted the new communication device to his ear.  So swiftly that Don didn’t have a chance to move, Raptarr’s wings surrounded him and blocked the pair from view.

            “I simply need you,” Raptarr whispered in a low voice.  “Let us end this fight quickly, shall we?”

            Don shivered and flattened his palms on Raptarr’s hips.  “Danger brings out a very passionate side of you.  I’ll have to remember that.”

            Still smiling, Raptarr pressed his mouth to Don’s in a heated kiss that attested to Raptarr’s aroused mental state.  It lasted only a few precious seconds; time was of the essence.

            Pulling away from each other, Raptarr quickly flew skyward and Don turned to see Mikey and Nano conversing in low tones.

            “Are you sure you do not need my assistance with this man Hun?  You will be heavily outnumbered,” Nano asked his lover.

            “Nano, I need for you to do what I asked.  I’m sure Raph and Leo are fine; we just have to find them.  The four of us function best as a team and we’ve fought and beaten Hun as a team enough times to know what works,” Mikey told him.

            “Very well,” Nano acknowledged somewhat reluctantly.  “Please call if you need me.”

            Mikey grinned and nodded as Nano left him.  The nanobot picked up the fallen Blaster as he walked; his collective disassembling the weapon quickly.  Striding to the hole in the rooftop, Nano leaped into the warehouse.

            Don’s chuckle drew his brother’s attention.

            “What?” Mikey asked.

            “Like I said before, Leo had better watch out.  Leadership suits you,” Don said.

            Mikey’s retort was cut off as Raptarr’s voice sounded in Don’s headset and the sounds of gunfire exploded into the near silence.

            _“Hun has Leonardo and Nobody pinned down underwater,”_ Raptarr reported swiftly.  _“Raphael is likewise trapped on top of a shipping container.  Hurry my love.”_

            Don’s eyes shot up to Mikey’s.  “Leo and Raph  . . . .” he began.

            Mikey interrupted.  “I heard.  Let’s go save our brothers.”


	83. JF83 Picking up the Pieces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 2,590  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Nobody is injured after Leo drags him into the water in an effort to avoid Hun. The ninja brothers come to the rescue.

            The first thing Leo saw after he and Nobody submerged was blood in the water.  The second was that Nobody was unconscious.

            Bullets were streaking through the water all around them and it was a miracle that Leo hadn’t been hit.  The same could not be said for Nobody; blood poured from a head wound that was visible through a torn section of Nobody’s mask.

            Leo clamped his hand over Nobody’s nose and mouth to prevent him from filling his lungs with water.  Wrapping an arm around Nobody’s chest, Leo dove deeper, knowing the water would behave as a bullet stop if he could just get far enough down.

            Swimming as quickly as he could, Leo prayed that the bullets would continue to miss them.  Leo understood weapons; he studied them much the same as Don studied computer code.  If he could pull Nobody to a depth of at least eight feet, the bullets would be non-lethal.

            He would deal with the problem of oxygen after he escaped the guns.  One of the things he and his brothers practiced on a regular basis was holding their breath under water.  Leo could go without oxygen for almost thirteen minutes; Mikey was the best at it, his personal record was over fourteen.

            Leo knew that the average human could only hold their breath thirty to forty seconds, if they were conscious enough to make the effort.  Nobody was probably suffocating but Leo couldn’t deal with the slower death until the threat of an immediate one was gone.

            When he was deep enough he started to swim back towards the pier.  He knew that Hun and his goons couldn’t possibly see them  and that they were firing blindly; the evidence of that was the bullets that were still drifting past him.  Leo was sure that it was Hun’s absolute hatred of him that drove the man to try and keep Leo and Nobody from surfacing.

            Visibility was difficult for Leo also.  During the raging fight in the dock yard, a lot of the overhead lights had been destroyed.  Leo had worked to maintain an awareness of his location when he dragged Nobody into the water, so he was sure that he was swimming in the correct direction.  His worry was that he would swim into a pillar before seeing it.

            Leo saw the support pillars before he realized that a faint light was piercing the water’s gloom.  The murkiness beneath the pier was cut somewhat by the gleam of a group of powerful moon towers set along the piers edge.

            Silently thanking whoever might be listening to his thoughts, Leo pulled Nobody back towards the surface, sure that Hun would not see them.  Leo knew he was taking a chance on Hun’s figuring out the maneuver and searching for him, but he couldn’t keep Nobody underwater any longer.

            As soon as they broke the water’s surface, Leo flipped Nobody over so that the vigilante was floating face up.  Yanking the mask off of the man’s head, Leo listened for sounds of breathing.  He heard nothing, nor did he see the rise and fall of Nobody’s chest, something that would have indicated that the vigilante was drawing in oxygen.

            Holding one hand flat against Nobody’s back to keep the man from floating away, Leo pinched Nobody’s nostrils closed, tilted the man’s head back just a bit, and placed his mouth over his friends.

            Leo could still hear the sounds of Hun and his gang tromping around overhead.  The gunfire was now intermittent and Leo knew Hun had ordered his people to search for the missing pair.

            Treading water and performing mouth to mouth resuscitation was difficult enough, but Leo also knew the chances of Nobody coughing and spitting up water when he came to were fairly high.  Hun would hear the sounds and come for them, guns blazing.

            Before he had a chance to work out an escape plan, Leo heard an agonized shout almost directly above his hiding spot.  A gunshot followed and then another pained cry.

            A loud splash in front of him caused Leo to lift his eyes as he continued to force air into Nobody’s lungs.  A rifle was visible on top of the water for a split second before it sank out of sight.

            More shouting followed, along with some spaced out and random gunfire.  None of the activity seemed to be directed towards locating Leo anymore and the blue banded turtle allowed a glimmer of hope to blossom in his chest.  He knew his brothers had arrived.

            Another few minutes passed as Leo worked frantically to push air into Nobody’s lungs.  Sounds of people running along the boards, shouting, and gunfire continued to play above him like a warped symphony.

            Then he heard Hun’s deep voice calling to his men.

            “Forget them!  Let’s go; I have the fucking case!” Hun shouted.

            The intermittent pop of a gun and the low report of a rifle sounded, but both were fading.  After a moment, the sounds ceased, only to be followed by the squealing of tires.

            “Leo!”

            It was Raph, bellowing at the top of his voice.  Almost on the heels of his call, Leo heard Mikey and Don, also shouting his name.

            Lifting his mouth from Nobody’s, Leo gripped the man’s shoulder and tugged him out from under the pier.  Looking around, he spotted the ladder and swam towards it.

            “Raph!” Leo yelled.  “I’m down here!”

            Almost immediately, Leo saw Raph leaning over the edge and looking down at him.

            “He’s here!” Raph shouted over his shoulder.  “He’s okay!”

            “Help me with Nobody,” Leo said, pulling his friends slack form up against the rungs of  the ladder.

            Raph kneeled down and leaned over, gripping Nobody beneath his arms.  The position was awkward and Nobody was fairly heavy, his suit weighted by water and the drag of his cape.

            Mikey joined his brother and got a handhold on Nobody’s arm, helping to lift the man.  Together they got him onto the pier and rolled onto his side as they patted his back to force out any water in his system.

            Leo ran over to them, his eyes focused on Nobody.

            “I closed his airways as soon as we hit the water.  Lay him down,” Leo told them, kneeling next to his friend.

            Placing his mouth over Nobody’s, Leo once more began attempting to resuscitate him.  Don squatted on Nobody’s other side, cautiously examining the still bleeding head wound.

            “Watch your count,” Don cautioned Leo quietly.

            Leo lifted his head and placed his interlaced hands on Nobody’s chest, using his body weight to push down for half a second, then releasing.  He counted to fifteen and then leaned over to listen for the sounds of Nobody breathing.

            Still Leo heard nothing.  Again he pinched Nobody’s nostrils closed and began forcing air into his lungs, two more strong blows before returning to chest compressions.

            “Oh shell, Leo,” Mikey moaned softly, seeing how motionless the masked vigilante was.

            “Keep going Leo,” Don urged.  “He’s bleeding; he’s alive.”

            Leo heard the flap of wings as Raptarr joined them.  He didn’t see the exchange of glances between Don and his lover, but he knew they had.

            Suddenly he felt Nobody go stiff and then jerk as his body reacted to having been without oxygen for a length of time.  Leo leaned back as Nobody began to cough violently and then the vigilante rolled over to spit water from his mouth.

            The first person Nobody saw as his eyes opened was Leo, kneeling next to him with a look of anxious concern on his face.

            “Hun?” Nobody asked as soon as he was able to speak.

            “Gone,” Leo answered.  “My brothers chased him off.”  Looking up at them, his brow furrowed as he asked, “How did you manage that, by the way?”

            Raph jerked a thumb in Mikey’s direction.  “The brigadier general over here started throwing rocks.  Lots of ‘em, supplied by Raptarr.  He had us strategically placed all around Hun and his goons.”  Raph started laughing.  “I never had so much fun.  Fucking Hun didn’t know how ta fight what he couldn’t see.  He finally tucked tail and ran.”

            Leo looked at his kid brother with unbridled admiration.  “Good thinking Mikey,” he said warmly.

            Mikey grinned, slightly abashed at the praise.  “It was the simplest thing I could think of to get rid of them fast and for us to avoid getting shot.”

            Don had been working on Nobody’s head wound and finished by taping a piece of gauze to his scalp.

            “Sorry Nobody, I had to cut your hair away from that spot,” Don said.  “Try not to bump it.  The wound is superficial enough, but it’s going to be tender and it’s a bleeder.”

            Raph held up Nobody’s soaked mask, retrieved as it floated out from under the pier.

            “Ya’ probably ain’t gonna want ta put this on for a couple of days,” he said with a grin.

            Nobody glanced at Raphael and nodded.  He was glad to see that all traces of animosity were gone from the red banded turtle.

            His head was throbbing and his throat ached, but Nobody’s mind was still on another matter.

            “Ruffington got away and now so has Hun,” Nobody lamented.  “That damned hoodlum has the briefcase and the thumb drive.  We may have their shipment, but the evidence linking them to it is gone.”

            Leo laughed lightly, relieved to hear the normalcy in Nobody’s rant.  “I wouldn’t say that exactly.”

            Dipping into his belt, Leo brought his hand up.  Lying in the center of his palm was the thumb drive.

            “H . . . how?  Wh . . . what?” Nobody stammered, his face a picture of surprised amazement.

            It was Raph’s turn to laugh.  “Geez Nobody, after all this time hanging with us ya’ didn’t know Leo was the master of all ninjas?”

            Nobody looked into Leo’s eyes, his own bright and warm.  “Actually, I do know how very special he is.”

            Leo’s smile faded and he quickly turned aside, covering his discomfort by handing the thumb drive to Don.

            “I don’t know a lot about these things,” Leo told him.  “It got wet.  Can you recover the information from it?”

            Don examined the drive housing.  “Well, it’s wet all right, but there’s no damage to the outside.  I’ll see what I can do as soon as I can get to my computer.”

            Leo could feel Nobody’s eyes on him, but he wasn’t ready to turn and face his friend.  Nobody wasn’t saying anything; he seemed to be lost in a world of his own thoughts.

            “Where’s Tsunami?” Raptarr asked at his first opportunity, feeling a strange tension coming from the group.

            “He’s resting near the ship.  Our little fight tuckered him out,” Raph said, glancing at Leo with a grin.  “He ain’t a ninja ya’ know.”

            “I heard that, lover,” Tsunami said.

            They turned to see the blue mutant rising from the water.  As he stepped onto the pier, his cockeyed grin firmly in place, he said, “You try holding back an entire ocean and see how quickly you can recover from the effort.”

            “This reunion is fun and all, but there are still bad guys in the warehouse,” Mikey reminded them, his thoughts on Nano.

            “That is where they will remain until the authorities arrive,” Nano said as he walked up to join them.  “I am afraid that they found my collective more difficult to handle than they had originally thought.”

            Mikey jumped up and nearly knocked Nano over as he enthusiastically threw his arms around the nanobot.  Nano smiled at the welcome, his arms elongating to form a tight circle around his boyfriend.

            Don smiled indulgently and looked at Leo.  “We still have a yard full of unconscious and injured criminals.  What should we do about them?”

            “If I may make a suggestion,” Nano said, “it would seem fitting to place them into the caged area that is inside the warehouse.  I have already moved a large number of them to that location.”

            _“Donatello,”_ Ananda’s voice sounded through Don’s headset and he lifted a hand, quieting the group on the pier.

            “Go ahead Ana, I’m here,” Don said.

            _“The police and harbor patrol are both on their way,”_ she said.  _“You guys have maybe five minutes to get back to the truck before they arrive.”_

            “We need to move guys,” Don said as he got up.  “The law is about to arrive.”

            Nobody struggled to gain his feet, his body weak from the punishment it had taken.  Leo jumped up and put his hands beneath Nobody’s arms, helping him to stand.

            The position put their faces close together and Nobody lifted his eyes to Leo’s, searching the amber depths for some sign as to how the ninja was feeling.  Leo’s eyes gave him nothing and his face remained carefully neutral.

            Mikey had turned to watch Nobody and his oldest brother.  When he saw Leo’s poker face, Mikey caught Don’s eye and lifted an eye ridge.  Don shrugged.

            With one arm around Nobody, Leo said, “I think it would be best if the Justice Force, excluding Nobody, were here to meet the authorities.  Nano, have Raptarr and Tsunami help you round up the rest of Ruffington’s men and put them in the holding cell.  Ana can tell the police what the fight was all about.”

            “I’m sending the information I gathered to the printer in the truck.  Ana can give that to them so they can locate the shipping containers that hold the illegal cargo,” Don said as his fingers danced over the keys on his laptop.

            Nobody tried to pull away from Leo but the latter held him tight.  “I should stay, Leo.  I need to tell the harbor patrol about Ruffington.  I need to give them the information about the speedboat.”

            “Give it to Raptarr while we walk back to the truck,” Leo said in a no nonsense tone.  “You are in no condition to stand here for several hours and be grilled by your own people.  With that head wound, you can’t wear your mask anyway, so don’t argue with me.”

            Raph bit his tongue but couldn’t quite hide a grin.  The red banded Turtle had a lifetime worth of knowledge about the futility of arguing with Leo.

            They reached the truck quickly and Leo helped Nobody into a seat before turning to explain to Ana what needed to be done.  She nodded and took the printout from Don, then leaped out to greet both Nano and Mikey with a warm kiss.

            Nano and Ana stood together, hands intertwined as Mikey pulled away.  Don waved at Raptarr from the passenger side window and his lover lifted a hand, placing the other over his heart.  As the truck left the shipyard, Tsunami snapped a sharp salute as Raph looked back at him.

            On a seat behind Don’s, Raphael glanced over at Leo.  His brother was sitting next to Nobody, but was staring out a window, carefully avoiding any interactions with the dark vigilante.  Nobody’s eyes were shut, but his posture was rigid, so it was obvious he wasn’t resting.

            Mikey watched them through the rear view mirror and saw the grim line that pressed itself to Raph’s mouth.  Turning his head, he saw that Don was looking over his shoulder at Nobody and Leo.

            Brown eyes came back to meet blue ones.  Mikey tipped his head towards Raph.

            “Well?” Mikey asked.

            Don nodded.  “As soon as possible.”


	84. JF84 Lighting the Fuse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 2,853  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Returning to the lair with the injured Nobody, Mikey and Don prepare to use their greatest weapon against Leonardo's defenses - a fired up Raphael.

            The drive back to the lair was made in relative silence.  Mikey and Don traded words back and forth in a low tone, mostly about what they thought the authorities would do next.

            Raph tossed a word in every now and then, but Leo and Nobody remained completely quiet.  They might not have even been in the truck for all of the sounds they made.

            Once they were parked in the garage with the outer doors firmly closed, Don turned in his seat and said, “You really shouldn’t go anywhere, Nobody, not with that head wound.  Since Leo doesn’t need that cot in the infirmary any longer, you can bed down in there.  I’d imagine you’ve got a pretty fair headache right about now.”

            “I won’t impose on your hospitality,” Nobody said firmly.  “It’s still dark out and I can make it back to Justice Force headquarters without being seen.”

            “You’ll stay.”  Leo’s head had finally turned away from the window as he reigned in his private thoughts to concentrate on more pressing matters.

            Nobody and he looked at each other for the first time in over an hour.  Their eyes met and it was obvious to the observers that stubborn pride had set up shop behind both pairs.

            “I’m no stranger to injury, Leonardo,” Nobody said, his voice low.

            “It only makes sense to play a lone hand when you have to,” Leo returned.  “You don’t have to right now.  Don is an excellent doctor and you should have someone with medical knowledge keeping an eye on you.”

            “Leo’s right,” Don agreed.  “You can’t walk into a hospital with a bullet wound; you’ll have the police, your own people, asking questions.  Ana isn’t going to be free for some time.  You know as well as anyone the effects of losing a large amount of blood.”

            Without his mask, Nobody was unable to hide his exhaustion.  The dark circles under his eyes and the turned down corners of his mouth were a dead give-away.

            Raph jumped up from his seat, opening the truck’s side door and leaping out.  Turning to look inside, he said, “Come on.  There ain’t any point in arguing, Nobody.  Leo and Don have both decided you’re staying, so you’re staying.”

            Nobody removed his seat belt and left the truck.  “My leaving here wouldn’t make sense anyway, since I want what’s on that thumb drive and Don is the only one with any chance of retrieving the information.”

            “That’s right,” Raph said with a grin, “and ya’ might as well take an aspirin and catch a nap while ya’ wait.”

            Master Splinter came out of his room to meet them as they entered the lair.  The look of relief in his eyes was obvious as he passed them over each of his sons.  His gaze took in Nobody’s bedraggled condition and he frowned slightly before turning to his eldest for an explanation.

            “We had a run in with Hun, sensei.  We found the source of the bullets and stopped their shipment, but Hun and that man Ruffington both escaped.  The police have all of the bullets along with a very large cache of illegal arms,” Leo said.

            “Nano and Ana are telling the police the entire story,” Mikey added.  “The Justice Force helped us round up a bunch of Ruffington’s people and some Purple Dragons too.”

            Nobody’s head was beginning to feel like a cracked egg and he swayed just a little.  Leo immediately put an arm around his friend’s waist to brace him.

            “Let’s get him to the infirmary,” Don said.

            “I don’t need to lie down,” Nobody insisted.  “Just let me sit with you while you work on that drive.”

            “I can’t concentrate on that if I’m worried about you passing out and sliding off a chair onto the floor,” Don said firmly.  “The longer you argue with me the longer it’ll take me to get to work.”

            “You are wounded my friend,” Master Splinter said in his quiet way, drawing the vigilante’s attention.  “Please allow my son to look after your injuries.  I promise you will miss nothing of importance.”

            As stubborn as Nobody was, it was not in him to argue with the wise old ninja master.  Nodding his head, he allowed Leo to assist him into the infirmary.

            At a signal from their Father, both Raph and Mikey remained behind to answer several additional questions regarding their adventures.  Once satisfied, Master Splinter dismissed them and returned to his room.

            When the two brothers entered the infirmary, they saw that Don was working on redressing Nobody’s wound.  The vigilante was on a cot, his back propped up against a stack of pillows.  Someone, Don most likely, had succeeded in removing the man’s boots, gloves, shirt and cape.

            Nobody’s eyes were closed and Leo was leaning against Don’s desk, his arms crossed over his plastron.  He was watching Don work; his face frozen and inscrutable.

            “Done,” Don announced, gathering up his medical supplies and taking them back to the storage cabinet.

            Nobody opened his eyes and reached up to gingerly touch the bandage.  His hand shook just a little and Don noticed it as he was turning back towards the bed.

            Without a word, Donatello opened a drawer and extracted a syringe.  From his small refrigerator he chose a vial and filled the syringe expertly.

            He made no attempt to hide the syringe as he walked back over to stand next to Nobody.

            The dark vigilante’s eyes narrowed as he surveyed the needle and then he turned the look on Donatello. 

            “Let’s move some of these pillows so you can lie back and get comfortable before I administer this sedative,” Don said calmly, tugging at one of the pillows.

            Nobody didn’t move.  “I don’t require a sedative,” he said.

            “Yes, you do,” Don told him.  “There isn’t any danger of concussion but it’s obvious you’re exhausted.  Sitting up worrying about that thumb drive and Ruffington isn’t conducive to sleep and you need some.”

            Leo pushed himself away from the desk and approached Nobody.  The vigilante’s eyes went to him immediately, following Leo’s movement as he came to stand next to the cot.

            “Take the sedative.” Leo’s tone was even but determined.

            He reached for a pillow and Nobody leaned forward enough so that Leo could take it away.  Nobody’s eyes never left Leo as the blue banded turtle removed two more pillows and pressed a hand to Nobody’s shoulder, urging him to lay back.

            As soon as Nobody was flat, Don administered the injection.  Leo watched the needle go into Nobody’s arm, feeling the man’s eyes on him.  When Don stepped away, Leo glanced quickly into Nobody’s face.

            What he saw there made him uncomfortable and he looked away.

            “Leonardo,” Nobody began but Leo shook his head.

            “No,” Leo said without meeting Nobody’s eyes.  “Not now.  You’re tired and so am I.  Get some sleep.”

            Raph and Mikey watched the exchange silently.  Nobody’s pained expression came and went quickly, expertly hidden by the vigilante, but they both saw it.

            In another minute the sedative began to work and Nobody’s eyes slowly closed.  When his breathing evened out, Leo turned to look into his face.  A hard, painful knot clenched in Leo’s chest as he stared at the man’s rugged features, softened just a bit as he slept.

            Removing his hand from Nobody’s shoulder, Leo called to Don, “Let me know if you make any progress on that drive and also when Nobody wakes.  I’m going to try for a little sleep myself.”

            Don acknowledged his older brother’s request with a nod as he stared into Leo’s eyes.  It didn’t take much for Don to see that what used to be a rich amber color was growing cold and distant.

            Leo mumbled a good-night to Raph and Mikey as he passed them, his eyes just barely touching them as he strode out of the door.

            After he was gone, Mikey caught Don’s eye.

            “I need to clean up a few things,” Don said quietly, tipping his head toward Nobody’s sleeping form.

            Mikey nodded almost imperceptibly and touched Raph’s arm lightly.  “We should get out of here so we don’t wake the guy.  I really want to talk to you anyway.”

            Not surprised, Raph followed Mikey out of the infirmary.  Raph thought they’d go into the kitchen or entertainment area where they could sit comfortably, but his little brother led the way into the dojo.

            Mikey stopped once they were inside and as far from Master Splinter’s room as possible.  His blue eyes were wide and direct with a look of maturity in them that Raph had never seen before.

            “Raph, our family has been kinda messed up for a while and I wanted to apologize to you ‘cause I know I started it all by not being honest with you guys,” Mikey said.

            Raph shook his head.  “Ya’ don’t need ta . . . .” he began to say.

            Mikey broke in.  “Yes I do.  I started this thing with Nano and I didn’t say anything ‘cause I was being selfish and  . . . .”

            This time it was Raphael who interrupted.  Covering Mikey’s mouth with his own, Raph’s kiss was deeply intense.  Raph locked his arms around his little brother’s body so tightly that Mikey knew Raph was afraid he’d try to pull away.

            Instead, Mikey melted into the kiss, letting Raph’s tongue swipe away the feelings of guilt that had been plaguing him over the last couple of months.

            “I’m glad ta know ya’ don’t taste like that robot,” Raph said teasingly after he finally released Mikey.

            Mikey grinned.  “And you don’t taste like seawater.”

            “I’ll give ya’ that,” Raph said.  “I guess we’ve all been sneaking around and lying ta each other.”

            “So let’s try not to do that anymore,” Mikey proposed.  “I don’t want to fight with you ever again Raph.  I really hated how that felt.”

            Raph reached out to grip Mikey’s bicep.  “Look Mikey, that was all me, okay?  Ya’ was doing what ya’ thought was right and I didn’t try ta understand ‘cause I was scared and jealous.  We almost lost Leo, we didn’t know what had happened ta Don, and it just felt like everything was falling apart.”

            “I understand Raph,” Mikey said.  When Raph started to shake his head, Mikey stepped closer.  “I _understand_ ,” he said adamantly.  “I wasn’t helping the situation by running off all the time without telling anyone anything.  I’ll never do that to you again.”

            “Okay,” Raph said as a corner of his mouth lifted.  “Enough guilt trip; we’re all together still and we got the bad guys.”  He gave Mikey a little shake.  “Clear up another mystery for me bro’; what’s going on with you and Ananda, huh?  Ya’ got a taste for women now?”

            Mikey’s blue eyes twinkled.  “Seems like.  I guess I’m bisexual, or at least I’m hoping to be real soon.”

            Raph’s head went back as he roared with laughter.  “Shit Mikey, go to it.  Make me proud.”

            “I’ve never even thought about having a girlfriend,” Mikey admitted.

            “I think we should be happy with this miracle that seems to have happened to us,” Don said as he strolled into the dojo.  “I could quote the odds to you two on how unlikely it was for all of us to find partners outside of our own family unit but I’ll spare you.”

            “And all without having to give up what we’ve already got,” Mikey said, giving Raph’s ass a light swat.

            Don lost the smile he’d been wearing when he came in.  “Well, I need to amend my statement; not all of us are happy right now.”

            Raph looked from one brother to the other and scowled lightly.  “Ya’ know, this is starting ta look like a set-up.”

            “That’s ‘cause it sorta is dude,” Mikey told him.  “Don and I have been talking about this thing Leo is doing and we decided he needs a reality check.”

            “Before he checks out completely,” Don added.  “He’s trying to shut down, Raph.  You remember how that was the last time?”

            Raph didn’t say anything for a minute, though his eyes narrowed.  “Yeah I do,” he finally said.  “He was trying ta be what he thought was honorable by distancing himself from us.”

            “He’s doing it again and it’s because of his feelings for Nobody.  They love each other, Raph.  Nobody was holding back because of the age difference, but I think he’s come to terms with that.  Then he found out about us and wasn’t going to be involved in that.  They had an argument and Nobody basically told Leo to choose after that . . .  that . . . .” Don stopped and looked at Raph.

            “That fight I had with Nobody,” Raph supplied, sensing Don’s discomfort.  “I tried ta force Leo ta do the same thing after Mikey and Master Splinter broke it up.  My head wasn’t on straight.”

            “You don’t need excuses Raph,” Mikey said.  “We all know how single minded Leo can be.  You were afraid he’d get so focused on Nobody that he’d forget about us.”

            “Yeah,” Raph acknowledged and then cleared his throat.  “Tsunami helped me understand a lot of things.  So it sounds ta me like the two of ya’ have an idea of getting Nobody and Leo together.  First off, how do ya’ know that Nobody is still interested?”

            Mikey laughed lightly.  “Oh shell, Raph, that’s easy.  All you have to do is see how Nobody looks at Leo.  His eyes are on fire dude.”

            “All right then, how do ya’ know Nobody would be willing ta share Leo?” Raph asked.

            Mikey and Don looked at each other.  “I think Nobody may be changing his mind about his old fashioned attitude,” Mikey offered tentatively.

            “The way Nobody has been interacting with Leo in the last few hours makes us believe Nobody would rather have some of Leo than nothing at all,” Don said.  “He’s seeing how the rest of us coordinate our time with our outside lovers; maybe that ‘fire in his eyes’ that Mikey refers to is Nobody’s response to an epiphany.”

            “Still sounds like a whole lot of ifs and maybes,” Raph said.

            “Would you rather leave things as they are and not try to get those two to reconcile?” Don asked.

            Raph thought about it before saying, “Shell no.  I didn’t like Leo acting this way the first time in happened.  I just don’t know what ya’ expect me ta do about it.”

            “Piss him off,” Mikey said.

            “What?”  Raph asked sharply.

            Don jumped in to say, “You heard him.  Make Leo angry.  You’re the only one who can.  He has to feel _something_ Raph.  I can only reach him enough to keep him from completely freezing up, but you’re the one who can make him feel everything.”

            Mikey was nodding.  “With anyone else he has time to think and to act all noble.  You don’t give him the time to settle into that martyr role.  Fighting with you makes Leo be honest with himself.”

            “If we can’t stop him from withdrawing he won’t just shut out Nobody,” Don pointed out.  “He’ll shut himself off from us as well.  Leo will decide that since we all have someone else to take care of us we won’t need him.”

            Raph lifted a hand.  “Okay, okay stop already.  You’ve made your point.  I don’t fucking want Leo pulling that kind of shit.  Back in that tunnel I told him about me and Tsunami but he didn’t give me the chance ta tell him that Tsu understands I’m still connected ta my brothers.  So his shutting down is probably partly my fault too.”

            “Whatever you’re going to do you need to do it now,” Don said.  “There’s nothing else going on to draw his attention, he’s tired, and he’s vulnerable.  Don’t let him sit up there in his room brooding about this any longer or he’ll be that much more entrenched in his decision.”

            Raph glanced up towards Leo’s room and scowled.  “Ya’ know, if he’d learn ta listen every once in a while we wouldn’t have so many misunderstandings.  He’s so fucking stubborn that sometimes I just wanna bite his head off.”

            He saw the grin on Mikey’s face and glared at him.

            “Don’t let me stop the build-up to what sounds like a great temper tantrum,” Mikey said.  “Just don’t aim it at me dude.  Up at the top of those stairs is where you need to fire your canons.”

            Raph marched out of the dojo with Mikey and Don right behind him.  As Raph started up the staircase, he looked back at them, his face darkly determined.

            “Keep an eye out for Master Splinter and make sure Nobody is drugged up enough so that the noise doesn’t wake him, ‘cause I have a feeling this ‘discussion’ I’m about ta have with Leo is gonna get loud,” Raph instructed them.

            Don put an arm around Mikey’s shoulders as they watched Raph run up the rest of the stairs.


	85. JF85 Firestorm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 4,834  
> Rated: NC-17 TCest, Violence, Language, Very adult situations  
> Summary: Raphael confronts Leonardo about how the leader has chosen to shut off his own emotions.

            Leo was lying on his bed with one arm covering his eyes.  He knew his body was tired and needed the respite that sleep offered, but he couldn’t manage to turn the turmoil in his head to the off position.

            He and Nobody seemed to have fallen into some strange kind of dance; either pushing forward or pulling back, and neither at the same time.  Leo had accepted the fact that there couldn’t be anything between the two of them other than friendship and even that was questionable at the moment.

            It had appeared that Nobody understood that as well; the dark vigilante had made it clear that he couldn’t accept the incestuous relationship that Leo had with his brothers.  Nobody wanted Leo, but only if he could have him on his own terms, with no middle ground.

            Leo was not amenable to that; he was not going to hurt his brothers in that way.  Whatever Nobody thought he understood about Leo, he should have known that for the blue banded turtle, family came first.

            Now Nobody was saying and doing things that seemed to indicate he wanted to try again.  Leo wasn’t open to that either.  He had made his peace with his decision and intended to save himself future heartache by sticking to it.

            He wouldn’t begrudge his brothers the connections that they had made.  Each of them seemed truly happy to have found a soul mate that was completely accepting of who and what they were.  Leo was determined not to interfere with that in any way.

            A few years previously he’d come to understand that his road as leader was destined to be a lonely one.  His brothers had worked hard to keep that from happening, but Leo was not going to let them forfeit a chance at happiness to maintain the status quo.

            Now Leo lay in the semidarkness of his room and worked to build a wall deep inside of him that would shut his emotions away.   He could not afford to have them; they were traitorous and treacherous.  Better to have no feelings than to experience the pain of losing both Nobody and his brothers.

            Focused on his thoughts, Leo only vaguely heard the first tap on his door.  The next was much stronger and Leo puffed out a breath of irritation.

            “Unless it’s an emergency come back later, I’m trying to sleep,” Leo said loudly enough to be heard through the closed door.

            Raph turned the doorknob and pushed the door open anyway, stepping into the murkiness of Leo’s room.  He closed the door behind him and silently turned the lock before striding purposefully over to his brother’s bed, his movement causing candle flames to flicker.

            Leo had one arm over his eyes and didn’t move when Raph entered.  Raph stood and stared down at him for a few minutes, wondering just how far into the deep freeze Leo had already shoved his emotions.

            “Go away Raph,” Leo said, knowing without looking who was in the room.

            With a mild snort, Raph said, “Ya’ don’t need any practice blocking people out, Leo.  You’re already damn good at it.”

            Without lifting his arm, Leo said in a flat, emotionless voice, “I’m not in the mood for riddles.”

            “That’s good ‘cause I ain’t in the mood for playing games.  Neither of us had time ta finish our conversation from earlier and in case ya’ think that I’ve forgotten about it, I haven’t,” Raph said.

            “As far as I’m concerned that conversation _is_ over,” Leo said, completely motionless except for his mouth.

            “Well then it’s a good thing I came in here ‘cause you’re obviously confused,” Raph told him.  “Let me enlighten ya’ bro’; that conversation barely got started and it’s about damn time we ironed out a few things.”

            “We’ve said everything that needs to be said about things that involve you or are any of your concern,” Leo said pointedly.

            “Oh, ya’ mean about me fucking Tsunami after I made such a big fuss about ya’ fucking Nobody?” Raph said as brutally as possible.

            A ripple of some emotion crossed Leo’s face but was swiftly smoothed out.

            “I’ve never had sex with Nobody,” Leo said quietly.

            Raph contained the urge to yank his brother’s arm down although he wanted badly to look into Leo’s eyes.

            “Ya’ want ta though, don’t ya’?” Raph asked, letting just a hint of smug lechery seep into his voice.

            “I do not,” Leo said dismissively.

            “Ya’ wanna bang his lights out,” Raph continued as though he hadn’t heard Leo’s denial.  “Ya’ want ta bend over and take it up the ass for him.”

            “Stop it,” Leo said sharply.  “I know what you’re trying to do, Raph, and I appreciate the effort.  I don’t want anything from Nobody and that’s final.  Drop it.”

            Raph’s eyes narrowed.  He had really hoped Leo hadn’t gotten this far into the process of shutting off his emotions.

            “Are ya’ thanking me for trying ta bring ya’ back ta life, Leo?  If we’re on a rooftop and you’re about ta get skewered, I guess I’m supposed ta turn my back and let that happen too?” Raph asked.

            “It isn’t the same thing and you know it.”  This time there was a slight edge to Leo’s words and Raph knew he’d hit a nerve.

            “Next time I’m about ta get my head chopped off I don’t want ya’ saving my ass either,” Raph said.

            “Shut up,” Leo snapped, the edge in his voice more defined.  “You know I hate it when you talk like that.”

            Leo’s arm was still covering his eyes and Raph was beginning to get truly pissed off.

            “Yeah, ‘bout as much as I hate when ya’ pull this shit,” Raph retorted.  “My being a selfish asshole was the greatest excuse ever to hide from your feelings wasn’t it Leo?  You’re so afraid of your own fucking emotions you’re just as happy as ya’ can be ta let mine control ya’.”

            “All right, you’ve said your piece,” Leo said.  His mouth, the only part of his face that Raph could see, was set in a grim line.

            Raph laughed without humor.  “Since when have ya’ ever gotten rid of me that easily?  Take your goddamn arm off of your fucking eyes and look at me when I’m talking ta ya’.”

            The last part was delivered in a near growl, the timbre a signal to Leo.  He moved his arm and looked at Raph’s stance, noting the all too familiar warning of trouble in his hot headed brother’s body language.

            “We’re not doing this, Raph,” Leo said, his voice dropping an octave.

            Raph’s gold eyes glittered in the half light.  “Did ya’ think I was gonna ignore this?  Did ya’ think that just ‘cause I took a lover I wouldn’t notice ya’ shutting down?  Ya’ think I wouldn’t still want ta feel your hard body under me; fighting for control while I force ya’ ta surrender it?  Ya’ give it ta me because deep down inside ya’ want ta lose control, ya’ want ta lose it ta me and ya’ want ta lose it ta Nobody.”

            “That’s enough!” Leo snapped at him.

            “Have ya’ at least kissed the man?  I smelled him all over ya’ that night we stole those prisoners from the police.  Ya’ don’t get that much scent off of someone unless you’re real close ta them.  Don’t ya’ want more than a kiss from Nobody?” Raph asked.

            “Asked and answered,” Leo said, his voice more controlled again.  “Go away now.”

            “Do ya’ wanna be with Nobody or not, Leo?  It’s a simple fucking question,” Raph rasped out, refusing to back off.

            “It isn’t that simple!” Leo shouted, his own temper piqued by Raph’s relentless questions.  “You don’t understand. First it was a problem with our age difference.  After that he said he couldn’t be with me because of you guys, because of how strongly _you_ felt on the subject.  Then he said it might work if I chose to walk away from my family.  Now  . . . now I don’t know what he’s doing.  I can’t have a relationship with someone that starts off with so many unanswered questions.”

            “Is that what this is all about?” Raph yelled, his patience wearing thin.  “That don’t explain ya’ shutting down Leo.  You’re confused about Nobody ‘cause he’s sending mixed signals, okay I fucking understand that.  Did ya’ forget how ta talk?  When he wakes up, march your fucking ass down there and ask him point blank if he’s willing ta share.”

            “Share what?” Leo asked, his voice dropping again.  “You all have somebody in your lives now; you don’t need what we had anymore.”

            Raph stared at him, feeling like his eyeballs were going to pop out of his head.

            “I thought Donny explained ta ya’ that we ain’t about ta stop loving each other just ‘cause the Justice Force has come into our lives.  I ain’t giving ya’ up, Leo; I’ll live without Tsu if that means I can hold onto ya’.  I don’t know how I feel about him yet but I sure as shell know how I feel about ya’ and ya’ ain’t cutting out on me bro’.  I ain’t losing ya’ over this.”

            Leo stopped looking at him then, placing his arm across his eyes again.

            “Maybe you guys having relations with the Justice Force isn’t exactly normal,” Leo said in a voice so low Raph had to strain to hear him, “but it’s more normal than incest.”

            “You and your fucking guilt,” Raph said in a voice deepened with wonder.  “You’re willing ta lay here all alone and suffer just ta punish yourself while the rest of us pursue outside relationships.  I ain’t gonna let ya’ suffer, Leo, that ain’t how this family works.”

            “I’m this team’s leader and I’ll decide what I will or won’t do,” Leo said quietly, his tone sounding final.

            “Then it’s a good thing I already have a reputation for not listening ta ya’,” Raph said smugly.

            Leo lifted his arm enough to glance at Raph.  “I would like to get some sleep,” he said.

            “Ya’ ain’t taking the easy way out, bro’.  I ain’t gonna let ya’,” Raph told him, his voice low and smooth.

            The tone of Raph’s voice warned Leo a split second before Raph lunged at him.  Leo rolled off of the bed with lightning fast reflexes, jumping quickly to the center of the room.

            Raph pivoted when his target moved and he saw Leo standing on the other side of the room, his hands up and curled into fists.

            “I’ve had enough fighting today,” Leo said.  “I don’t want to go through this dance with you.”

            “Why not, Leo?  Ya’ afraid a certain person will hear us?” Raph asked.

            “Leave me alone,” Leo hissed at him.

            “Ya’ better beat me, Leo.  Ya’ better fucking knock my ass out and shove me out the door ta get rid of me.  If ya’ don’t, ya’ know damn well what’s gonna happen,” Raph warned in a guttural growl.

            Raph drove in fast, his fists lashing out at Leo’s face.  Leo’s arms moved just as swiftly to block each blow, pushing Raph’s hands aside.  When Raph stepped in closer, Leo swung an elbow up into his brother’s jaw and snapped Raph’s head back.

            Taking two steps back, Raph countered with a hard front snap kick to Leo’s plastron.  The force threw Leo against his bookcase, breaking the first two shelves in half and sending books tumbling to the floor.

            Leo bounced up as Raph sought to press his advantage, slapping Raph’s leg away as the hot head tried for a side kick.  Leo’s right fist plowed past Raph’s guard and grazed his cheek as Raph turned his head to avoid the blow.

            Raph came in low with a left, trying for Leo’s exposed side but his brother caught his wrist and wrenched his arm down.  Raph twisted into Leo’s movement, yanking his wrist free and catching the back of Leo’s head with an elbow.

            Leo stumbled forwards, hearing his brother coming after him.  Spinning, he leaped high and caught the side of Raph’s head with his foot.

            Slammed to the ground, Raph snatched up a book and flung it at Leo.  Leo dodged the heavy missile and it smashed into Leo’s weapons wall, sending part of the display crashing onto the floor.

            Raph followed the book, diving straight at his brother.  Leo sidestepped, bringing a fist up into the muscle beneath Raph’s armpit.

            With a grunt, Raph countered with a bruising uppercut to Leo’s chin.  Leo flipped as he fell, catching himself with his hands when he hit the floor.  Springing to his feet, he traded blows with Raph, blocking Raph’s heavy fists with his forearms.

            Bringing his leg up, Leo kicked Raph in the stomach, pushing his brother away from him.

            They stood and glared at each other, both breathing heavily, their fists ready and in defensive positions.

            “Ya’ know that thing Nobody said about your age difference?  Maybe he was right ‘cause ya’ sure are acting like a kid who refuses ta play with anyone when he don’t get his own way,” Raph said.

            “You don’t know anything about it!” Leo shouted at him.

            The words hardly finished leaving Leo’s mouth when Raph rushed him again.

            Leo blocked a hard left, sliding his arm up to punch the muscle in Raph’s bicep.  Raph swung a right and Leo caught it under his arm, pinning Raph’s forearm against his side and delivering a wicked chop to the side of Raph’s neck.

            Raph grabbed the back of Leo’s head and spun them both in a half circle, yanking Leo down and slamming a fist into Leo’s face.  Leo threw himself onto his shoulder and rolled out of Raph’s grip before donkey kicking his brother.

            Flying across the room, Raph hit the hard wooden door, cracking it and leaving an imprint of his shell.

            Lunging forward from a squatting position, Raph plowed into Leo’s middle, pushing him back against a wall.  Leo punched the side of Raph’s neck and hammered the back of his brother’s head with an elbow.

            Growling, Raph slid his arms down, tightening them around Leo’s thighs before lifting his brother off the ground and throwing him.

            Leo twisted in mid-air and came down on his feet, spinning on his heel and sweeping Raph’s legs out from under him.  Raph rolled over and up as Leo pounced at him, catching his older brother with a fist to his jaw.

            “I’ve fucking had it with you Leo!” Raph yelled, watching his brother step back and get into his fighting stance.  “Why do ya’ always gotta act like you’re better than us?  Why can’t ya’ admit ya’ want things just like everybody else does?”

            He rushed Leo then, fists flying.  For every five punches Leo blocked, Raph connected with two.  Berserk with fury, Raph didn’t even feel Leo’s counterpunches; he just kept up his constant barrage.

            Leo knew he needed distance between them; this close Raph’s sheer strength was too formidable.  Blocking a punch, Leo kicked the inside of Raph’s leg, throwing the larger turtle off-balance.  With both fists, Leo struck Raph’s chest.

            As he fell back, Raph’s hand snaked out and caught hold of Leo’s wrist, pulling his brother down with him.

            Unable to yank his arm free, Leo landed on top of Raph.  Before he could move, Raph’s arms were around his body, pinning them tightly against each other.

            As Leo tried to dig his toes into the ground for leverage, Raph rolled over and pressed his brother’s carapace into the floor.  He trapped one of Leo’s legs between his own and caught Leo’s wrists, shoving his arms down and to either side of his body.

            Breathing hard, Raph watched as Leo struggled to free himself.  Leo’s mouth was open as he sucked in oxygen and then growled at his inability to get loose.

            Raph’s head came down and his lips found Leo’s.  When his brother tried to roll his head aside, Raph applied more pressure, bruising Leo’s mouth in the process.

            The kiss was brutal.  Raph kept his mouth on Leo’s, snaking a tongue into his brother’s mouth and ravaging the inside.

            When he pulled back, his golden eyes gleamed with victory.  Leo had stopped struggling, staring up at his brother as he waited for a chance to free himself.

            A corner of Raph’s mouth twitched up; he knew damn well Leo wasn’t giving in yet.

            “Ya’ remember our first time, Leo?  Ya’ never told me ya’ didn’t want this; ya’ said ya’ couldn’t have it.  I told ya’ ta tell me why and ta make me believe it but ya’ couldn’t.  I’ll bet ya’ still can’t,” Raph said, his voice deepening as his arousal grew.

            “This  . . . it’s . . .  this is tainted,” Leo said quietly.

            “By what?” Raph snapped.  “Master Splinter accepted our choice and he’ll accept our being with the Justice Force as well.  All he wants is for us to be happy, safe and fulfilled.  The comfort we give each other ain’t dishonorable, Leo.  Get that shit out of your head.”

            Lowering his face again, he began to nip at Leo’s jawline, using his tongue to gently caress the bruises that had been left there.  When Leo tried to tilt his head away, it left his neck open and exposed.  Raph traced his tongue over the offered skin, lapping up the salty taste of Leo’s sweat.

            “Don’t  . . . .” Leo began, trailing off as Raph bit his pulse point lightly.

            “I told ya’ what would happen if ya’ lost,” Raph said, barely lifting his mouth off Leo’s neck.  “I think ya’ let me win.”

            “No,” Leo whispered, “I d . . . didn’t.  We shouldn’t do th . . . this, not with  . . . with . . . .”

            “With Nobody downstairs?” Raph finished for him. “Afraid he’ll wake up and find me fucking you?  I thought ya’ didn’t give a shit about a relationship with him anymore?  Maybe he ain’t the one with the sharing problem, maybe it’s ya’.”

            “That’s not true,” Leo said adamantly.

            Raph lifted his head and caught Leo’s eyes with his own.  “Prove it.”

            “Don’t be childish,” Leo said.  “I  . . . .”

            Raph didn’t let him finish as he once more forcefully kissed his brother.  Leo grunted at the onslaught, pulling his tongue back rather than allow Raph access to it.  The maneuver only made Raph work harder, sliding his tongue around in the delicious warmth of Leo’s mouth.

            Panting slightly, Raph broke the kiss to stare into Leo’s eyes.  Despite his attempts at hiding his feelings, the amber color in Leo’s eyes had changed to a richer hue.

            Raph’s grin told Leo he’d seen past the elder’s attempts to mask his need.  When Raph pressed their mouths together again, Leo’s tongue came up to meet him.

            Carefully releasing one of Leo’s wrists, Raph moved his hand onto Leo’s hip and began to slowly stroke the skin.  His hand moved from hip to outer thigh; then back up again and Leo responded by bending his knee and rubbing it against the back of Raph’s leg.

            After a moment, Raph let go of Leo’s other wrist.  Sliding the palm of his hand between their bodies, Raph caressed the inner thigh of Leo’s opposite leg.  Raph felt Leo’s shiver as his fingertips grazed his older brother’s tail.

            Raph shifted his hips, rubbing his lower plastron against Leo’s leg and letting his brother feel the growing bulge between his legs.  Leo finally realized his hands were free, but instead of shoving his brother away, he gripped the edges of Raph’s shell and pulled him closer.

            “Say yes, Leo,” Raph groaned against his brother’s mouth.  “I need ya’; I’ll always need ya’.  Say yes so I know ya’ still need me.”

            “Raph,” Leo replied in a voice that was almost a sigh.

            “Forever, Leo,” Raph husked, his hot breath blowing against the side of Leo’s head.  “I know ya’ understand that.  Maybe ya’ like ta wallow in self-pity sometimes, but deep down ya’ know it’s the two of us forever.”

            This time Leo writhed beneath Raph for a different reason.  Leo’s breathing was erratic; his eyes partially closed as Raph’s hands continued to pet his most erogenous zones.

            “Bed,” Leo finally whispered, his cock hard beneath his plastron.

            Their bodies never broke apart as they got up off the floor.  Mouths locked together, they moved towards the bed as one, falling into it heavily.

            Leo’s hands lifted to grasp the pipes at the top of his bed as Raph began to plant kiss after kiss to his plastron, moving down Leo’s center frontline.  Raph pushed against Leo’s thighs, widening the space as he began tugging on Leo’s tail and licking the opening in his older brother’s plastron.

            Raph’s dick was rock hard already and it dropped down as he worked on Leo.  His thick, turgid cock bounced between his thighs, hungering for the warmth of Leo’s body.

            Dropping his head back against a pillow, Leo released a long, rolling churr as his cock made its appearance.  Raph placed the end of his tongue at the base of Leo’s cock and licked a long, wet stripe up to the tip.  Tickling the slit in the head of Leo’s dick with his tongue, Raph moved down so that his entire mouth surrounded the top.

            Raph’s tongue played across the head of Leo’s cock as his mouth lifted and lowered around just the tip.  Leo started to shake, his chest heaving as wave after wave of pleasure shot through his groin.

            “Yes,” Leo said in a long, breathy exhale, offering himself fully.

            “Lube,” Raph responded, barely lifting his head from Leo’s cock.

            Leo let go of the pipe with one hand and fumbled for the drawer in his bedside table.  His fingers closed around the tube inside and he tossed it to Raph.

            Raph caught the lubricant without looking up.  Gripping it tightly, he suddenly sank his whole mouth around Leo’s shaft, sucking and licking as he went down.

            “Ahh!” Leo cried, his hips lifting and his heels digging into the mattress.

            Raph pulled off of Leo’s dick, his smile smug.  He was the only one who could wrench those kinds of sounds out of his mostly silent brother.

            Popping open the tube, Raph spread a generous amount of lube onto one finger.  Slipping his hand between Leo’s legs, he lightly painted the outside of his brother’s entrance before pressing his fingertip carefully past the tight ring of muscle guarding Leo’s anal passage.

            Leo’s grip on the overhead pipes tightened, his arms shaking as he fought to keep his lower half relaxed.  Taking deep measured breaths, he lifted his head to watch Raph’s face as his normally impatient brother took his time prepping Leo.

            Burying one finger inside his brother, Raph carefully stroked the inner walls, searching for the little bundle of nerves that would give Leo the most pleasure.  He knew when he found it; Leo’s body jumped as if jolted by an electrical current and his churrs grew louder.

            Drawing the finger out, Raph applied additional lubricant to two fingers and once more delved deeply into Leo’s inner core.  Rolling his hand, Raph scissored his fingers slowly, stretching the narrow space and slicking it simultaneously.

            “Raph.”  Leo’s voice carried a note of desperation, telling his brother he was ready.

            Chuckling, Raph made sure to stroke Leo’s prostate once more before pulling his fingers out.  Leo’s moan was rewarding; so was the jerk Leo’s cock made just before a dollop of pre-come rolled from the tip.

            Kneeling between Leo’s thighs and careful to avoid the bandaged one, Raph coated his stiff cock with lubricant and his own pre-come.  Lowering himself, he guided the tip of his dick against Leo’s entry and looked up into his older brother’s eyes.

            Locking gazes, Raph pushed steadily into Leo’s ass.

            Tight heat surrounded his cock; velvety friction played along his shaft as he immersed himself completely.  Muscles inside Leo’s ass constricted around the intruder, adding to the exquisite feeling as Raph began to gently thrust.

            Leo’s eyes slid shut, his entire being focused on every nuance of Raph’s performance.  His cock throbbed with need; pre-come spurted from the tip with each stroke of Raph’s dick inside his body.

            Raph tried to maintain a slow rhythm, wanting to make their sex last, but Leo felt too good.  Watching the expressions on Leo’s face change and shift with each thrust was driving Raph into a lustful frenzy and his hips responded by moving faster.

            Leo lowered a hand to his neglected cock and began pumping it in time with Raph’s drives.  Raph gripped Leo’s hips and shifted them upwards, then braced himself with both hands on the mattress as he began to thrust more quickly.

            “Harder,” Leo moaned, his face twisted in ecstasy.

            Raph grinned wildly as he obliged his brother with full-body thrusts, his muscular legs ramming his length into Leo as hard as he could.

            The angle brought Raph’s cock into contact with Leo’s prostate and the blue banded turtle yelped, his vision swimming with stars.  His hand sped up to a blur as he stroked himself closer to the edge, a tight knot in his gut warning of impending release.

            Raph’s movements suddenly became staccato; his rhythm faltering, his shorter thrusts doubling and sometimes trebling.  The change was enough to cause Raph’s dick to continuously touch Leo’s prostate.

            “Ngh, Raph!  Yes!” Leo shouted as he climaxed; his cock expanding in his hand, pumping out his hot fluids across his plastron and splashing Raph’s in the process.

            “Leo,” Raph groaned out before his next words were swallowed by a churr.  Trying again, he said, “Leo, don’t  . . . don’t ya’ ever  . . . forget . . . this.  N . . . next time ya’ wanna  . . . shut us out.”

            He wanted to say more, but his orgasm overtook his speech.  Slamming his cock into Leo’s ass one final time, Raph shot his come into Leo’s core.

            Holding there for several long minutes, Raph rode out his climax.  He could feel Leo shuddering beneath him, tiny aftershocks washing in delicious waves across his body.

            Exhausted, Raph finally pulled out and practically fell into the bed next to Leo.  Both were breathing hard, their eyes closed as they slowly came down from the sexual high.

            “I’m beat,” Raph said.

            For a second there was no response and Raph started to think Leo had fallen asleep.  Then his brother chuckled, following that with light laughter.

            “You’re unique, did you know that Raph?” Leo asked, opening his eyes and turning his head so he could look at his brother.

            “Ain’t we all?” Raph responded as he glanced over at Leo.  “Ya’ out of that funk now bro’, or am I gonna have ta pound ya’ into submission again?”

            Leo lifted a hand, palm outward.  “Please don’t.  You’re tired; I’m exhausted.  Can we just sleep?”

            “Depends.”  Raph rolled onto his side and looked down into Leo’s face.  “Are ya’ gonna talk ta Nobody?”

            Leo searched his brother’s eyes.  “Do you really want me to?”

            “Yeah, I do,” Raph said.  “Look I know this is different than the situations Mike, Don and me have got ourselves into, okay?  Nano, Raptarr and Tsunami are outsiders, just like us.  We’ve got that in common.  Nobody is a loner, but he’s human.  He can fit into the outside world and he still has their value system.  If ya’ wanna be with him, ya’ gotta give him a chance ta work through his doubts.”

            “And suppose he can’t accept the way we do things?” Leo asked.  “What if he isn’t capable of sharing?”

            “Then ya’ live with it,” Raph said bluntly.  “You’ve got your brothers and you’ll always have us.  Ya’ tell him thanks for giving ya’ the chance ta talk it through and ya’ put an end to it.  But don’t let me catch ya’ trying ta change ta please him, Leo.  Trying ta be something ya’ ain’t will just end up making both of ya’ miserable.”

            “I promise I won’t let anyone change me, Raph,” Leo said with a smile.

            “That’s good,” Raph lay back down.  “It’s fucking hard enough ta deal with ya’ the way ya’ are now.”

            “I didn’t stomp into _your_ room and destroy it,” Leo said with amusement.

            “Go ta sleep,” Raph’s eyes were shut.  “We’ll make Don fix it later.  He owes us for that scare from when he ran off ta be with Raptarr.”

            Leo laughed again, his own eyes closing from fatigue.  Raph was right; he needed to have a long discussion with Nobody, a talk that wasn’t interrupted by fights, bullets, or bad guys.

            He would do that as soon as he and Nobody were both well rested.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This sexy image was created for this story by the ultra talented MsObscure on DeviantArt.  
> 


	86. JF86 Reconciliation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 3,036  
> Rated: R  
> Summary: The time has come for Leonardo to have an honest discussion with Nobody.

            Don was wearing a broad smile as he met Leo at the bottom of the staircase.

            It was mid-morning on the day after the massive fight with Ruffington, Hun, and the Purple Dragons.  Everyone had been tired and the lair was quiet.

            Leo looked at Don with good humor, his mood lighter than it had been in a long time.

            “We need to have a talk sometime about that stunt you and Mikey pulled in siccing Raph on me,” Leo said mildly.

            “You’re the one who said that when you’re in a fight you should make full use of all available weapons,” Don reminded him.  “We were fighting for you.”  He tipped his head towards the infirmary.  “Going in there?”

            Leo nodded.  “How is he?”

            “He’s fine.  He slept well and ate a little breakfast.  The first thing he asked was where you were, the second was about that thumb drive,” Don said.

            “What was your answer?” Leo asked.

            “I told him you were sleeping and that I would report my findings to you,” Don answered.  “You’re this team’s leader.”

            “I’m surprised Nobody accepted that for an answer,” Leo said.

            Don laughed.  “If I weren’t a highly trained ninja he might not have.  He did say something about how stubbornness seems to run in our family.”

            They heard low muttering coming from the direction of the TV room, followed by the word ‘pizza’.

            “Did Mikey sleep on the couch?” Leo asked.

            “Yep.  He was parked there in case Master Splinter came out to investigate any strange noises he might hear,” Don said.

            Leo lifted an eye ridge.  “And just how late did you stay up working on that thumb drive?”

            “It took me the rest of the night actually,” Don said.  “It wasn’t as though I could go up to bed.  Way too noisy.”

            “May I remind you again that was entirely your fault?” Leo asked with a laugh.  “By the way, you have some repairs to take care of in my room.”

            “I could have guessed that.  You know at one point really early this morning I thought it might be safe for me to go on up and try for a nap, but then you guys started up again.  I thought you were tired,” Don said.

            “That was all Raph.  I _was_ sleeping, but he never passes up an opportunity,” Leo said.

            “From the sounds of things, he certainly earned it,” Don observed.  “Where is he by the way?”

            “In my room sound asleep.  Let him be; he was really exhausted,” Leo answered.

            They had stopped walking when they were still out of earshot of the infirmary.  Now Leo glanced at the closed door and then back at Don.

            “So, what did you get off of that drive?” Leo asked.

            Don shifted gears; he was all business now.

            “Plenty that incriminates Ruffington and will probably put him away for life,” Don said.  “Unfortunately, nothing references Hun by name; all of the client entries are in a special code.  Ruffington was cheating all of them.”

            “How so?” Leo asked.

            “Only the top layer of bullets in each box were actually cyanide tipped, and those were only in the first two rows of boxes in each crate.  The tips on the bullets beneath those were filled with saline water,” Don said.  “The weapons were shells; outer stocks without firing mechanisms.  Scattered throughout the crates were working weapons, but for the most part, he was shipping junk to his buyers.”

            “That makes no sense,” Leo said.  “He’d only be able to deliver one shipment that way.  How did he expect to  . . . .”  He stopped as the implications hit him.

            Don nodded.  “He only intended to deliver one shipment.  There are files listing several off-shore bank accounts.  Ruffington was going to leave the country for some unknown destination as soon as the cargo was on that ship.  He paid out practically nothing to manufacture that junk, he hasn’t paid his employees or his suppliers, and he made sure he got his payments up front.”

            “He’s a dead man if the police don’t catch him,” Leo said.

            “It’s a cinch his passport and a large amount of cash were in the briefcase that Hun stole.  Hun may not be the sharpest pencil in the box, but he’s smart enough to spot a double cross with one eye closed,” Don said.

            “The drive looks untouched?” Leo asked.

            “Of course,” Don said.  “No one is going to accuse the Justice Force of tampering with evidence.  I cleaned it up and copied the files, but it won’t appear as though it’s been touched.  I just wanted to get the water off of it before it corroded the information further.”

            Leo looked at the infirmary door again.  “I’ll tell Nobody,” he said.  “Do me a favor and don’t let anyone interrupt us?  There are a few things he and I need to discuss.”

            “About time,” Don said as he left, walking towards the couch to check on Mikey.

            Taking a deep breath, Leo crossed to the infirmary door, opened it and stepped inside.

            Nobody was in the process of pulling his shirt on when Leo came in.  As he closed the door, Leo asked, “How do you feel?”

            Sensing a change in his friend, Nobody answered cautiously, “Much better.  Whatever Donatello gave me last night took care of my headache.  Did you sleep well?”

            Leo nodded and walked over to stand next to the cot Nobody had slept in. 

            “I did, thanks.  I saw Don when I came downstairs and he told me he managed to retrieve some information off of that thumb drive,” Leo said.

            Nobody adjusted his shirt and then reached up to touch the bandage on his head, making sure he hadn’t disturbed it.  He turned so that he was facing Leo from the other side of the cot.

            “I knew he had,” Nobody said with a half-smile.  “I was determined to be patient and wait for you to come and tell me about it.  It was obvious that I wouldn’t get anything from your brother.”

            “Don’s better than all of us at keeping things to himself,” Leo said, returning the smile.

            “Even you?” Nobody asked.

            “Even me,” Leo told him quietly.  Clearing his throat, Leo said, “Ruffington was pulling one big scam with that shipment we stopped.  Most of the weapons were junk; guns that would fall apart in your hands the minute you attempted to fire them.  Only about a tenth of the bullets were cyanide tipped; the rest of the tips were full of water.”

            Nobody’s eyes darted aside as he absorbed that information, then they came back up to look into Leo’s.

            “He was going to leave the country,” Nobody said.

            “Don thinks the briefcase contained Ruffington’s passport, cash and probably airline tickets.  The thumb drive has a file on it with numbers for several off-shore bank accounts.  Ruffington’s name is all over those records but not Hun’s or any of his other clients,” Leo told him.

            “I need to turn that drive over to the unit in charge of this case,” Nobody said.  “They’ll want that evidence to convict Ruffington when they catch him.”

            “I hope they do catch him,” Leo said.  “I can guarantee Hun and his Purple Dragons are looking for the man also.  It wouldn’t surprise me to find out that Karai has her hands in this mess somewhere.  If so, then her Foot ninjas are scouring the city for Ruffington.  His best and smartest move would have been to get out of New York as fast as possible, by any means possible.”

            “He probably had some cash on him,” Nobody speculated.  “Renting a car under his own name would be foolish; that’s the sort of thing that can be traced easily.  Depending on how much money he was carrying he would take either a train or a Greyhound bus.  Taxi drivers would remember a fare that asked to be driven out of the city.”

            “Ruffington is desperate,” Leo reminded him.  “Desperate men resort to violence.  He might have stolen or hijacked a private vehicle.”

            Nobody’s mouth was set in a grim line as he turned away to search for his boots.  “Whatever he’s chosen to do, I need to deliver that drive to the precinct.  I can plead an injury as to why it took so long, but I’ll have to sign a deposition stating that the chain of custody was never broken.  Let me finish dressing and I’ll get that drive from Donatello.”

            Leo watched him as Nobody began to put on his boots.  Once the man left, it might be days before Leo got the chance to catch him alone again.

            “Nobody,” Leo said in a different tone of voice.

            Nobody’s hand stopped just as he was reaching for his cape.  He looked up and found that Leo’s eyes were on him, the look in them something he hadn’t seen since the night in the garage when they’d kissed.

            “That information can wait a little longer,” Leo said once he had gotten Nobody’s attention.  “I think it’s more important that you and I talk right now.”

            “I was hoping that you would give me that chance,” Nobody said.

            Leo touched the tips of his fingertips to the cot and looked down at them for a moment before speaking.

            “Neither of us has been very clear in our dealings with one another,” Leo began.  “I asked a question of you that I had no business asking because I was already committed to someone else.  Three ‘someone’ else’s as a matter of fact.  You were honest with me when you said your life was too complicated.”

            “I wasn’t as honest as you think,” Nobody admitted quickly.  “If you’ll remember, the answer I gave you was vague.  I made it vague on purpose, Leo, because I had been thinking about you in terms beyond that of mere friendship.  The thing that held me back at the time was the difference in our age.”

            “You explained that to me at your first opportunity, Nobody,” Leo said.

            “Yes, I did.  I did that with an ulterior motive.  Age differences aside, I was very drawn to you and I shoved the age thing between us as a shield so I wouldn’t do anything foolish,” Nobody said.

            “As a barrier you hoped I wouldn’t try to breach?” Leo asked.

            Nobody nodded and laughed shortly.  “There I was telling you that you were too young and the entire time I was giving you the responsibility of putting a stop to our mutual attraction.  It finally came to me that all my fears about our age difference were pointless because you aren’t human.  I can’t base maturity on normal human scales and apply them to you.  We’ve worked together enough for me to know that you are much more of a man than many of my so called peers.”

            Leo’s eyes were focused on Nobody’s face, his gaze steady and unwavering.  “Getting past the age question still leaves us with a major difficulty,” he said.

            “Your relationship with your brothers and the commitments you’ve made to them,” Nobody said.

            “Those things have seen some radical changes in the last few months,” Leo said.  “I’ll be up front in telling you that this family’s first priority is to each other, but we’ve come to learn that the edges of that agreement are flexible.  My brothers are happy with the support they’ve found outside of this family.”

            “Including Raphael?” Nobody asked.

            “Yes, even Raph,” Leo said.  “Tsunami is apparently a very resourceful and determined person.  He opened Raph’s eyes and helped him to see that no matter what happens, his brothers will always love him and be there for him.”

            “He finally understands that you won’t abandon him,” Nobody said.

            “I won’t abandon any of my brothers ever,” Leo said, and then took a deep breath.  “I need to make that absolutely clear so you’ll know why I broke it off with you.  I’m not going to change for you and I don’t expect you to change for me.  The outside world is yours.  Their values are yours.  I can’t be angry with you for embracing the only morality you’ve ever known.  Losing the friendship we built before this happened would be upsetting to me, but I’ll understand if this needs to be a clean break.”

            Nobody walked slowly towards the cot again, standing once more in place on the other side of it.  Leo’s fingers were still on the cot, and Nobody placed his hands there as well.  He could almost swear he felt the vibrations of Leo’s heartbeat through the mattress.

            “Losing our friendship would be . . . devastating to me,” Nobody said, his voice low and his eyes downcast.

            Leo was watching Nobody’s face, searching it for some sign as to the dark vigilante’s thoughts.  Nobody’s expression was as neutral as though he were still wearing his mask and Leo’s heart sank.

            Bracing himself for what he felt was inevitable, Leo said, “I’m sorry I couldn’t give you more.  I hope that someday you’ll find someone who can be totally devoted to you; someone you wouldn’t have to share.”

            Nobody’s head lifted quickly and Leo almost stepped back when he saw the pain in the man’s eyes.

            “Please listen to me, Leonardo,” Nobody said.  “I’ve always been a conventional type of man; brought up to understand that certain things are normal between two people and other things are not acceptable.  Then I look down at myself in this vigilante guise and wonder why the hell I’m being such a hypocrite.  I can’t say don’t fall in love with another man when I’ve already done just that, and I can’t tell myself that it’s right to argue against those feelings when I’ve stepped over my own lines on so many other things.

            “Damn it; I want to have something meaningful with you.  I don’t give a shit if that means sharing your affections with your brothers; how stupid and meaningless would that be for all of us?  People become distraught over their partner having other lovers because there is always a fear that they are being measured against someone else, and that they’ll be tossed aside if they are found wanting.  That’s not something I have to worry about with you because it isn’t in your mindset to need a monogamous relationship.”

            “It was never about comparing you to anyone else,” Leo said.  “You are unique to me, the things that drive you and have your passion are the same for me as well.  I love my brothers for their individuality and I could never give that up.  The capacity to share myself and show my true feelings isn’t limited; I can give all of myself to more than one person.”

            Nobody smiled.  “I’m coming to understand that.  Do you think you could stand to give this old man another chance?  I really don’t want to be a lone vigilante when there is someone I could share everything with.”

            Leo moved around to the end of the cot and watched as Nobody came over to meet him.  Standing close together, they looked into each other’s eyes and then Nobody placed his hands on Leo’s shoulders.

            “You aren’t old to me,” Leo said with a half-smile as he lifted his hands to Nobody’s hips.

            Nobody felt a shiver run down his spine; Leo’s nearness raising pleasurable goose bumps across his skin.

            “Show me,” Nobody said, lowering his mouth to Leo’s.

            Leo tightened his hold on Nobody’s hips as they kissed, drawing him closer when the kiss deepened.  Nobody’s arms moved around Leo’s carapace and a tiny growl of satisfaction escaped his throat when he felt Leo’s warm tongue touch his own.

            They remained like that for several minutes; the kiss passionate and robust.  Nobody was breathing heavily, his fingers scraping across Leo’s shell as he lost himself to the eroticism of the moment.

            Leo was trying to stay grounded but the feeling of Nobody’s strong arms holding him and the press of their bodies against each other was becoming too much for him.  He had wanted this for so long and now that the barriers were slipping away, Leo didn’t feel like he could wait longer for more.

            Nobody slipped one of his legs between Leo’s and pushed his crotch against Leo’s thigh as he began to become more aroused.  He knew that Leo would feel his cock coming to life; he _wanted_ Leo to feel how much the Turtle was affecting him.

            When Nobody’s leg pressed into the space between his legs, it pushed against Leo’s slit.  Already excited, Leo felt his cock flutter and his hips moved of their own accord so that he could rub against Nobody’s leg.

            They pulled their mouths away from each other simultaneously.  Leo’s eyes were closed as he panted, the bulge growing in his lower plastron.  Nobody could feel Leo’s arousal now and he stared into his younger lover’s face, the flush on the green skin making the vigilante gasp with need.

            “C . . . can we do this here?” Nobody asked, his voice low and gravelly.

            Before Leo could answer, someone knocked loudly on the door.  There was barely enough time for them to pull apart before the door opened.

            Master Splinter stood there, his eyes darting from one to the other and his nose twitching.

            “I am sorry to interrupt your _discussion_ , Leonardo.  Your brothers are awake and I have decided it is time for this family to have a meeting,” Master Splinter said.  “Please join us in the dojo as soon as you are able.”

            Leaving the door open, Master Splinter left them.

            Leo looked back at Nobody.  “It seems that now is not a good time,” he said lightly.  “Let’s get that thumb drive from Don so that you can take it where it needs to go.”

            He started to walk away when Nobody caught his arm.  “Please call me later,” Nobody said.  “I think we should meet someplace where we won’t be interrupted.”

            Leo smiled.  “So that we can finish this discussion?”

            Nobody breathed deeply, his return smile bright.  “Absolutely.”


	87. JF87 Master . . . Father

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 2,223  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Master Splinter gathers his sons together for a long overdue discussion.

            When Leonardo entered the dojo after delivering the thumb drive to Nobody and walking his friend to the door, he saw that his brothers were already assembled there.  Kneeling next to Raphael, he exchanged a small smile with the others and then turned his attention to Master Splinter.

            Master Splinter stood before his sons, one hand behind his back, the other gripping his walking stick.  The tip of his tail twitched slightly from side to side, letting his boys know that he considered this meeting to be quite serious and that he was also perturbed.

            “My sons, I believe we are long overdue for a discussion about recent changes that have occurred within this family,” Master Splinter began.  “Changes that are contrary to an agreement the four of you made to each other and to me.”

            They all began talking at once but Master Splinter’s hiss silenced them.  Each of the Turtles wore a different expression; Leo contrite, Don chagrined, Raph frustrated, and Mikey embarrassed.

            “Tell me my sons, do you love each other?” Master Splinter asked.

            The four Turtles looked at him and then at one another, perplexed.

            “Of course sensei,” Leo answered for the group as his brothers nodded in agreement.

            “What is the first lesson that I taught the four of you?”  Master Splinter held a hand up when Leo’s mouth opened.  “Please Leonardo, allow one of your brothers to answer.”

            “That no matter what happens, we should always stick together,” Don supplied.

            “Yes.”  Master Splinter grew silent again as he contemplated his children.  Mikey began to fidget and then stopped as soon as his Father’s eyes pinned him in place.

            “It was the first promise that you made to one another,” Master Splinter reminded them.  “As you grew older, you learned that total trust in your brothers is essential for survival.  I taught you that without trust you could easily die.  Did those lessons make sense to you?”

            This time they answered together, “Yes, sensei.”

            Master Splinter’s tail tapped the ground in agitation.  “And yet you have all chosen to break a commitment that you made to one another two years ago.  You have all kept secrets from your brothers and from me.  Instead of discussing changes that were occurring in each of your separate lives, you all chose to compound your lies until the situation became critical.”

            “I’m sorry sensei, it’s all on me.  I started . . . .” Mikey said but was cut off as Master Splinter hushed him.

            “You might have begun this charade, but your brothers became active participants.”

            Master Splinter stopped to take a deep breath, his eyes closing for a moment.  His sons could tell by his posture and the way his tail was moving that their Father was extremely angry.

            “In the last two months you boys have engaged in subterfuge, outright lies and activities which nearly cost Leonardo his life.  In addition, we have all suffered the anguish of believing that Donatello was lost.

            “You have also had arguments and physical altercations between yourselves and with guests, have kidnapped prisoners from the authorities and I am sure you have done many other reprehensible things of which I am currently unaware.  During this period none of you has been forthright with me.  Can any of you justify your actions?”

            “No, Master Splinter.  We cannot,” Leo spoke for his brothers once more.

            “Do you see how these secrets have hurt you?  What potential harm could have occurred?” Master Splinter asked, frowning at Leo.  “As the leader, it was your responsibility to ensure the promises you made to each other were kept.”

            Leo bowed his head, “Yes, sens . . . .”

            “I screwed up,” Raph interrupted, surprising everyone.  “I ain’t making excuses sensei, but I want ta clear something up right now.  A lot of the confusion is my fault ‘cause I was being a selfish bas . . . jerk.  That agreement you keep reminding us of, one of the things we promised ta each other is that we wouldn’t let jealousy play a part of our commitment.  I did.”

            “It wasn’t all your fault dude,” Mikey chimed in.  “I wanna say I’m sorry to all of you right now.  I was scared of what you would think of me being with Nano and I didn’t want to be made fun of, so I kept my mouth shut about it.”

            “I sure justified your fear by doing exactly what you were afraid of as soon as I found out,” Raph said.

            “I shouldn’t have written Nano off as a plaything so quickly either,” Don offered.  “Of the four of us, I should have understood how unique Nano is.”

            “My affair started sorta by accident,” Mikey said.  “I wasn’t trying to replace you guys or anything.  I don’t want to lose you.  I love Nano, but if I gotta choose then it’s . . . it’s you guys.  It’ll always be you guys.”

            “If Nano is willing to share your love with us, Mikey, then I see no reason why you should have to give him up,” Leo told him.

            Mikey’s eyes lit up.  “He is, he totally is.  He’s not human so he doesn’t get the whole thing about people trying to hog somebody all for themselves.”

            “Free love,” Don murmured.  When they looked at him, he chuckled.  “From the sixties.  Flower power and the concept of free love.  It was idealistic because, for one thing, there are just too many humans.  I think it could work for us though.  That is, if you guys can accept my being with Raptarr.  He and I have already discussed this.  Raptarr is perfectly content to be with me whenever we can manage it.”

            “Just so long as ya’ tell us your going this time and don’t just disappear,” Raph said with a grin.

            “I was a little unconscious the first time, Raphael,” Don retorted playfully.

            “I’ve been a lot unconscious,” Raph admitted.  “I was sure you guys would . . . ya’ know . . . .”

            “Leave you behind?” Leo prompted gently.

            Raph looked at him gratefully.  “Yeah.  I figured ya’ wouldn’t need me anymore if ya’ found someone else.  Tsu helped me realize how wrong that kinda thinking was.  He’s okay for a freaky blue pain in the ass.”  Raph darted a glance at Master Splinter, but his Father seemed content to listen quietly.

            “I’ve been hiding my emotions and actions as well,” Leo said.  “I began to have feelings for Nobody quite a while ago but only recently came to terms with what they were.  I was curious enough to speak to him about how he felt and then we found ourselves in a quandary.  He isn’t like the other members of the Justice Force.  Nobody is human and has more experience with relationships.  We both tried to ignore what was happening and wound up with a confusing mess.”

            “And you proceeded to resolve the problem by shutting down on all of us,” Don said softly.

            “That was stupid,” Leo said.  “Fortunately you guys know me almost better than I know myself.  You tossed a live grenade at me and he exploded the wall of ice I was trying to build.”

            “Any time ya’ try and stick a wall up between us, ya’ better be ready to see my face in yours,” Raph warned.

            Leo laughed.  “Duly noted.  I can’t afford to have you wreck my room too often.”

            Master Splinter’s face was slowly relaxing as his sons talked.  His anger began to dissipate; his sons were here, they were all safe, and they were finally being honest with each other.

            “And what of the commitment you made two years ago, my sons?  Will you reaffirm it now, or does it need to be amended?” Master Splinter asked them.

            The Turtles turned to look at him.  For a few minutes they had forgotten that he had called them together and had been in the process of chewing them out.

            “I think . . . .”  Leo looked around at his brothers and received nods from each of them.  “Amended Father.”

            “To include the Justice Force members to whom each of you has become attached?”  Master Splinter asked.

            “And Ananda,” Mikey added quickly, blushing slightly as his family looked at him.  “I’m trying to be truthful like you guys asked,” he said.  “Nano and I love her.”

            “Is that the entire role call or shall we leave this new commitment open ended?” Master Splinter asked dryly.

            “Sensei,” Leo said, once more contrite, “I have no words for the dishonor I feel I have brought upon this family by my inaction.  As the leader, I should never have relied upon luck to bring us through the last few weeks.”

            “And yet sometimes the future must lie entirely in the hands of Fate my son,” Master Splinter said, placing his hand on Leo’s shoulder.  “From what I have observed, when you were called upon to lead, you did so admirably.  The dishonesty and deception are crosses all of you must bear, but you are still young.  This reinforces for me that there is still much I must teach you.

            “We will not dwell upon the missteps that were taken other than to learn from them.  There is no shame or dishonor in being confused when the matters of the heart are involved.  Your ninjitsu training does not address that part of life and it is incumbent upon me as a Father to provide you with that guidance.”

            “Master Splinter, I should never have attempted the dangerous missions I undertook without the aid of my brothers,” Leo said.

            “You have all taken it upon yourselves at one time or another to aid a friend in need,” Master Splinter said.  “It is admirable and I will not fault you for doing so.  All I ask is that in the future, when you recognize the severity of an undertaking that you call upon family for assistance.”

            “That means the Justice Force, right sensei?” Mikey asked.  “They’re part of our family now.”

            Master Splinter opened his mouth and then closed it.  He studied his sons for a moment, his contemplative expression becoming slightly disconcerting.

            “Master Splinter?” Raph hazarded.

            Their Father blinked and then a smile slowly spread across his features.  “Family.  Our family is indeed larger now.  I had not thought of it in those terms but now I see that I must amend my thinking.”

            He turned and walked back towards his room, still wearing the look that indicated he was lost in thought.

            “Do you wanna talk to us some more?” Mikey asked, still kneeling with his brothers.

            Master Splinter waved a hand dismissively.  “No, no.  You are all dismissed.  I must contemplate this turn of events.  Christmas, yes.  The table will of course have to be expanded.  And we must find out when your new partner’s birthdays occur so that we may celebrate them properly.”  He was still talking to himself as he passed through the door.

            “I think we’ve created a monster,” Mikey muttered under his breath.

            “I heard that Michelangelo.”  Master Splinter’s voice floated back to them.  “You will do twenty flips.”

            His brothers were covering their mouths to stifle their laughter as a disgruntled Mikey stood up and started doing back flips.

            “So what do we do now?” Raph asked.  “I feel weird, like that was . . . I don’t know, not as dramatic as I thought it was gonna be.”

            He got to his feet and his brothers followed suit.  Leo was still looking towards the door and he turned his head to survey his siblings.

            “We learn to adjust our lives to include the new people in them,” Leo said with a smile.  “There is no reason we can’t find a new normal to go back to.  We’ll train, protect the city, remain close to each other, and find the time to have an extended family.”

            Mikey finished his flips and grinned at his brothers.  “Cool, ‘cause I’m gonna call Nano and do something about completing the family he wants us to have with Ana.”

            He sped off before anyone could say something to stop him.  Don contemplated Leo for a moment.

            “Mikey doesn’t ever let the grass grow under his feet,” Don said meaningfully.  “Maybe you should take a page from his book.”

            Leo chuckled.  “You don’t need to push.  Nobody has police business to take care of right now.  I’m going to call him later so that we can talk.”

            “I hope ya’ plan on doing more than just talking,” Raph told him.  “That poor guy probably has blue balls by now.”

            “Thank you Raph,” Leo said with a grimace.  “Your tact is inspirational.”

            “I would like to be inspired by a large cup of coffee,” Don said, interrupting them before Raph could think of a comeback.  “A little breakfast would be nice too.”

            “Food sounds good ta me,” Raph agreed, slapping Leo on his carapace.  “Come on Fearless, ya’ ain’t gonna tackle your new challenge on an empty stomach are ya’?”

            “I’ll eat breakfast with you on the condition you don’t start giving me pointers about how to handle my new ‘challenge’,” Leo replied with a laugh.

            “Wouldn’t dream of it,” Raph said, his grin roguish and full of mischief.


	88. JF88 Anticipation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 4,873  
> Rated: NC-17 threesome, yaoi, het sex  
> Summary: Mikey takes a trip to the Justice Force building to tie up some loose ends.

            _“Mikey, I am so happy to hear from you,”_ Nano said, the tone of his voice conveying that sentiment exactly.

            Michelangelo smiled.  Nano was not only learning to understand emotions, he was doing an excellent job of appreciating all of their nuances.

            “Are you and Ananda at Justice Force headquarters?  The police aren’t holding you guys, right?” Mikey asked.

            _“No,”_ Nano said into his phone.  _“The law enforcement representatives questioned us thoroughly and took down our statements.  They were quite satisfied with the work we had done to stop the arms shipment from leaving the pier.  They have confiscated the ‘goods’ and have also put out an all-points bulletin for the apprehension of Ruffington.”_

            “Did you say anything about Hun?” Mikey asked him.

            _“We did not mention him,”_ Nano replied.  _“The men we captured who work for him were stubbornly silent while those who were in Ruffington’s employ quickly ‘spilled their guts’.”_

            Mikey chuckled.  “You’re getting pretty good with that street slang.  Yeah, good old Hun always manages to skate by under the radar.  Unless we can find some way to directly connect him to all of the illegal stuff, it’s probably better not to talk to the police about him.”

            _“We perceived those difficulties as well,”_ Nano said.

            “What time did they let you guys leave?”  Mikey glanced up at the clock on his bedside table.  It told him it was nine forty in the morning.

            _“We were allowed to depart at four forty-nine,”_ Nano answered precisely.

            “Oh,” Mikey said, “so you guys got back to JF a little after five, right?”

            _“Five-o-four to be exact,”_ Nano said.

            Laughing lightly, Mikey said, “Gotta appreciate exact.  Where’s Ana?”

            _“She bade be good-night after we arrived and went directly to her bedroom,”_ Nano said.  _“I would have enjoyed more conversation with her, but Ananda said she was very tired.  Her body language leads me to believe that she is nervous about our continued interaction.”_

            “You did kinda take her by surprise, dude,” Mikey said.  “Both of us did, I think.  That’s one of the reasons I called; the launch is still tied up near here and I thought I’d bring it over.  My family and I just talked about everything that’s happened; I think it’s time the three of us did the same.”

            _“When do you propose to arrive?”_ Nano asked.

            “I’m throwing on a disguise right now and heading that way,” Mikey told him.

            _“You are aware that Ananda has only been asleep for four hours,”_ Nano said.

            “You’re assuming she’s asleep,” Mikey said.  “I’m betting that nervousness you noticed is keeping her awake.”

            _“She will be in bed either way,”_ Nano pointed out.

            “Yeah?” Mikey asked with a grin.  “I can’t think of a better place for her to be right now.”

            After they disconnected, Mikey yanked on some oversized pants and pulled a hooded sweatshirt over his head, cinching it tightly beneath his neck.  Grabbing the keys to the Justice Force launch, he stopped in the kitchen before leaving, hoping to find someone in his family there so he could tell them where he was going.

            All three of his brothers were seated around the table having breakfast.

            “What are you bundled up for?” Raph asked, leaning back in his chair.

            “I’m taking the launch back over to the JF building,” Mikey said.  He reached across the table and snagged a piece of toast.  “Nano’s waiting for me.”

            “Just Nano?” Don asked with a twinkle in his eye.

            Mikey smiled and bit into the toast.  “At the moment.”

            “Excursions in broad daylight aren’t the best idea,” Leo said, though the hint of a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

            “Why do you think I’m all dressed up?” Mikey asked.  “I’m going straight there and I won’t speed so no one will have any reason to pay any attention to me.  Besides, Nano is waiting and if I’m late, he’ll send out a search party.  A really big one.”

            “Having the Justice Force at your beck and call has some advantages, doesn’t it, Michelangelo?” Don asked.

            “Pfft, you ought to know,” Mikey shot back with a wink.

            He got the satisfaction of seeing Don’s face redden before he left the kitchen and the sound of his brother’s laughter followed him out of the lair.

            Stepping out of the drainage pipe and onto the riverbank where the launch had been tied, Mikey felt a strong, cool breeze touch is face.  Looking up he saw the beginnings of a fairly good-sized storm.

            Wasting no time, he untied the lines holding the launch in place and sped off towards the Justice Force building, racing to beat the rain.  He pulled up to the pier to find Nano waiting for him and together they navigated the launch onto the boat lift so it wouldn’t be battered against the pilings as the water swelled under it.

            “Hang on, Nano,” Mikey called as his boyfriend started to lead the way inside the building.

            Nano turned to see Mikey remove his disguise and stand with his head back, staring up into the dark storm clouds.  The wind whipped around them, accompanied by thunder, and Mikey was smiling so widely it seemed his face might split in two.

            Mikey’s energetic joy and thrill for life fascinated Nano like nothing else could.  His collective stirred and rolled upon itself, stimulated by the sight of the creature they now called ‘lover’.

            When lighting forked across the bottom of the clouds, Mikey turned away from the storm and dashed towards the building, reaching for Nano’s hand as he drew even with him.  Together they made it to the open door just as the first large drops of rain began to fall.

            Inside, Nano pulled a laughing Michelangelo into a tight embrace and kissed him breathless.

            “Damn,” Mikey murmured as his mouth pulled away from Nano’s.  “You get better at this every time we do it.”

            “You inspire my collective to learn,” Nano told him.  “If you will come to my room now, I will assist you to remove the rest of your gear.”

            Mikey tossed his clothing down next to the door and shook his head.  “Nope.  We’re both going to Ana’s room.  Like I told you over the phone, it’s time for the three of us to talk about our situation.”

            Leading the way with determination, Mikey gave Nano no chance to argue the decision, not that the nanobot was inclined to do so.  Michelangelo was the more experienced of the two when it came to relationships and Nano was leaving it up to him to finish putting together the ‘family’ that Nano so badly desired.

            There was the tiniest bit of light shining from beneath Ana’s door, noticeable because the storm outside had turned the day dark with its fury.  Mikey lifted the back of his hand to the door and tapped against it with his knuckles.

            After a moment, the light under the door was broken and Ana’s voice came through, “Who is it?”

            “It’s Mikey and Nano,” Mikey said, his tone low and seductive.  “Could we come in please?”

            “I don’t . . . I’m not dressed,” she answered in a slightly shaky voice.

            “We’ll sit out here in the hall and wait if you wanna throw something on,” Mikey told her, making it clear that they weren’t going to leave.

            A crack of thunder nearly drowned out the sound of the lock being turned.  Ana’s door opened slowly and she peered out at them.

            “Is it really important, Mikey?” she asked through the small gap.  “I was up all night.”

            Mikey lifted a hand and cupped her chin through the opening.  “If you weren’t worrying about the situation between the three of us you’d be asleep right now.  So yeah, I think it’s important.”

            Ana blinked, surprised at how forthright Mikey was, and then found herself stepping back to allow him room to enter.  Nano silently followed, watching Mikey proceed with a boldness that was exciting.

            Mikey’s nod in Nano’s direction had the nanobot closing the door behind them as Mikey turned to look at Ana.  She had pulled a filmy robe on over her lacy babydoll nighty, holding it closed with one hand as she stared at Mikey.  Her hair hung in waves across her shoulders, the dome on her head glowing faintly to match the blush on her cheeks.

            The see through robe couldn’t hide how beautifully the nighty enhanced Ananda’s voluptuous figure and Mikey made no effort to disguise his appreciation. 

            “You are very lovely,” Nano said, breaking the momentary silence.

            Ana’s blush deepened and then she appeared startled.  “Oh, I . . . I nearly forgot.”  Moving to her bed, she reached beneath a pillow and extracted a small pillbox.  “It’s the nanobot I was holding for you.”

            She passed it over to him and Nano opened the box, allowing the nanobot inside to merge back into the collective.  His memory was immediately flooded with a view of Ana’s semi-nude form as she extracted the nanobot from her uniform and placed it safely in the box.

            “You were sleeping with me,” Nano said brightly.

            “I wanted you to be safe,” she answered quickly, then caught her bottom lip between her teeth.

            Mikey moved close to her and gently took her free hand in his.  “I’m pretty sure you know by now how Nano and I feel about you,” he said.  “My family and I have talked about our new relationships and I’ve told them that I want to be with Nano and you as well as holding onto what I have with my brothers.  Nano has no problem with sharing me but we both want to know how you feel about becoming part of our family.”

            “I suppose that’s why I’m not asleep,” Ana said.  “I can’t stop thinking about the two of you.  About how whole you both make me feel.”

            Taking another step forward, Mikey brushed his fingertips through her hair, tucking the silky strands behind one ear.  His gaze drifted across her long, delicate neck before coming back up to meet Ana’s dark eyes.

            “The package deal thing doesn’t put you off?” Mikey asked softly.

            Ana’s lips flickered into a smile.  “The kiss you gave me back at the shipyard told me you have more than enough passion to go around.  I learned something from my mother that it took me a long time to understand.  She was in love with two men and trying so hard to choose one made her final year miserable.  They would have been fine with sharing her love just to be able to hold onto it.  I don’t want to repeat her mistake and miss the chance at having everything that makes life perfect.”

            “I think you’re pretty perfect,” Mikey said.

            He released her hand to slide his around her body, pressing his hand into the small of her back to draw her against him.  Ana let go of her robe and slipped both of her arms up around Mikey’s neck, tipping her head back as his mouth came down to hers.

            Nano watched with intense satisfaction as Mikey’s arms wrapped around Ana’s body and their mouths pressed together in a hungry kiss.  His collective shifted and quivered with what he could only categorize as anticipation.

            Ananda didn’t realize that she’d opened her mind while kissing Mikey until she heard Nano’s voice inside her head.

            _“I love Michelangelo very much,”_ Nano thought to her.  “ _He has taught me to be sentient and to understand the things my collective needs.  He has also shown me that one person can be ‘family’ but that more can provide an even larger amount of satisfaction.  I think it would be good to have as much family as possible.  Wouldn’t you agree?”_

            Ana pulled her mouth from Mikey’s so that she could let her happy laughter escape.  Out loud she said, “Yes, Nano, I agree.  With the correct people, more than one is always better.”

            “Okay new rule,” Mikey said with a grin.  “When the non-mind reading turtle is around, everyone uses their mouth for talking or they just don’t.”

            Ana giggled.  “I let my guard down and Nano slipped inside.”

            Nano moved close to them and Mikey stepped back so that the nanobot could take Ana into his arms.

            “Yeah,” Mikey agreed, “he has a tendency to do that.”

            Ana’s heart was thudding in her chest as she looked up at Nano.  She’d been kissed by Mikey before and had known what to expect, but Nano was a complete mystery.  Holding her breath as his mouth neared hers; Ana closed her eyes and moved her arms around his neck as she’d done with Mikey.

            The feel of his ‘lips’ surprised her so much that Ana’s eyes fluttered open.  His mouth was warm and soft, and Ana realized that she should have expected it.  The nanobot prided himself on his ability to emulate biological organisms; he’d certainly had plenty of opportunity to study Mikey and learn.

            Nevertheless her astonishment made Ana lean away from him with a startled gasp.

            “Nano,” Ana said, “your mouth feels . . . .”

            “Awesome?” Mikey finished for her.  “It’s okay to tell him what it is you like, Ana.  Nano picks up new skills really fast.”

            Nano smiled at her.  “Mikey is very vocal with his needs,” he told the blushing woman.  “He is very loud during sex.  Would you like to hear him?”

            Mikey felt himself flush.  “Dude, slow down,” he admonished the nanobot, afraid Nano would start moving too fast for Ana.

            Ana however was looking with great sincerity into Nano’s eyes as she said, “Yes I would.”

            Mikey nearly choked on his astonishment as he watched Ana rise up on her toes and capture Nano’s mouth again.  From the way their mouths were moving, Mikey could tell that Nano was proving to Ananda that he knew how to use his tongue as well.

            The sight was exciting Mikey quickly and he felt the pressure beneath his plastron signaling to him that it was time to move forward.

            Dancing around behind Ana, Mikey tugged on her robe, pulling it down off of her shoulders.  Ana lowered her arms and pulled them free of the garment without relinquishing her kiss, the feeling of the nanobot tongue rolling over hers intensely erotic.

            Nano’s collective shifted around the robe, rolling away from the fabric as Mikey removed it and tossed it aside.  The nanobot’s arms solidified in their original positions, both of them holding Ana close against Nano’s body.

            Mikey pushed Ana’s hair to the side as he stepped up behind her.  Pressing his lower plastron against her scantily clad rear, Mikey’s hands gripped her hips and his mouth fell to her neck.

            Ananda moaned when Mikey’s wide tongue began to stroke the side of her sensitive neck.  She could feel him pushing against her ass and knew that he was becoming as aroused as she was.

            “Ana,” Mikey whispered against her ear, “do you really want to go further?”

            No other man, as excited as Mikey obviously was, would have thought to give her such a choice and Ananda’s heart soared.  Sliding her tongue across Nano’s, Ana drew her head back and smiled.  Her dome was glowing brightly enough to light the room with a warm, red glow.

            Rubbing her cheek against Mikey’s mouth, Ana said, “Yes, Mikey.  Being with you in every way possible is all I’ve been able to think about.”

            Mikey’s hands came up to her shoulders and he turned her so that he could look into her hooded eyes.  Her full mouth trembled with need and Mikey captured it while his hands began to explore.

            Nano molded himself around her backside, enjoying the warmth her body had begun to give off.  Though in their minds they had stopped communicating with words; they were still connected and the hum of their mental energy was energizing the collective.

            Ana began to work on the knot holding Mikey’s mask in place as his large hands slipped down to her breasts.  Mikey didn’t know what to expect; this was his first experience with touching a woman in this way, and his hands were shaking as they closed over her twin mounds of flesh. 

            They were soft and pliant as he squeezed gently, his mind suddenly riveted by the flesh he felt beneath the material of her nighty.  Rubbing his hands across them, he felt Ana’s nipples grow enticingly hard under his palms and Mikey quickly decided that her clothing had to go.

            Just as he pulled away from their kiss, Ana got his mask loose.  Taking it off of his face, she stood staring at him, her eyes glistening.

            “You are so handsome,” Ana finally said; her voice low with emotion.

            “Let me take this off of you,” Mikey asked, his hands touching the thin straps of her babydoll.

            “Lift it off,” she told him.

            Nano stepped around to her side as Mikey reached down and caught the hem of her nighty.  Lifting it slowly, Mikey watched as Ana’s translucent skin was revealed; first her hips, then her flat stomach, and finally her breasts bounced free.

            After he tossed the nighty to the side, Mikey would have touched her if Nano hadn’t stopped him.

            “We must remove your gear as well, Michelangelo,” Nano said.

            Unable to take his eyes off of Ana, Mikey nodded, not entirely registering what Nano had said.  Nano smiled and began the task of stripping his lover, something he was very practiced at doing.

            Once Mikey’s weapons, belt, wrist guards, and elbow pads had been removed, Nano bent to slip the knee pads from Mikey’s legs.  Ana had spent that time staring into Mikey’s blue eyes and she couldn’t stand the loss of contact any longer, lunging towards him.

            Pressing her naked breasts against his rough plastron, Ana attacked Mikey’s mouth, kissing and nipping at his lips.  When he pushed back against her to deepen their kiss, his hands trailed down her sides and caught the tiny elastic band on her last remaining piece of clothing.

            Pulling the panties down to her knees, Mikey let them fall the rest of the way to the ground as he groped for her round, firm ass cheeks.  Kneading them with a strong grip, he pushed her lower body against his own and immediately felt the heat coming from between her legs.

            His cock twitched in reaction and began to harden.  It was then he felt Nano’s collective begin to cover his legs.

            Breaking away from Ana, Mikey looked down as Nano’s form slowly encompassed his own.

            “Nano?”  Mikey asked; gasping as Nano swarmed over his thighs and tail.

            “Together,” Nano intoned as nanobots crawled over Mikey’s body.  “Let us love Ana as one.”

            Nodding his understanding, Mikey reached for Ana’s hand as Nano completed the living cocoon around the Turtle’s body.  Leading her to the bed, Mikey helped her to lie down on her back.

            Standing next to the bed, Mikey took a deep breath.  This was the part he had worried over; the time when he would have to show Ananda how his body worked.

            It wasn’t as though he had much of a choice; Nano had already delved into his slit and was dancing over his burgeoning erection, exciting him to a point where control was about to become a non-issue.

            Ana’s expression was soft with need as she lay relaxed and waiting for Mikey and Nano.  She hadn’t asked a single question about the oddity of having two lovers merge into one; simply remaining accepting and compliant.

            Mikey smiled down at her, his heart overflowing with a feeling of love for both of his partners.

            “I need to show you how my body works,” Mikey told Ana.  “I guess you kinda already figured out my parts are arranged a little differently.”

            Ana returned the smile.  “I want to know everything about you; about both of you.  Show me.”

            Placing his hand between his legs, Mikey carefully coaxed his erection from the hidden pocket beneath his plastron.

            Eyes wide, Ana gasped and Mikey froze, his fist curled around his hard shaft.

            “I scared  . . . .” Mikey began contritely.

            “I’ve never seen one so big,” Ana said breathlessly, rising up on her elbows.  “Oh my God, Mikey, please don’t make me wait any longer.”

            Surprised and elated at her reaction, Mikey crawled over one of her legs and planted the lower half of his body between her thighs.  He could feel Nano covering his erection and sliding into his ass and he knew that at any moment the nanobot would begin driving into him.

            “Not too fast, Nano,” Mikey muttered, wanting a few moments to explore the woman under him.

            The collective lifted and settled in answer, holding their place as they waited for their host to direct their movement.

            Resting his forearms on either side of Ana’s shoulders, Mikey leaned down to kiss her gently.  As she slowly lay back, Mikey moved his mouth to her neck and then her collarbone before kissing his way down to her breasts.

            Grasping one in his hand, Mikey’s lips surrounded the dark peak on the other and sucked on the delicate flesh.  Ana moaned and writhed under him, her hands caressing the back of his head.

            Nano moved with Mikey, the cocoon he’d formed around the Turtle duplicating Mikey’s actions.  When his collective understood that Ana’s nipples were erotically sensitive, a segment of them broke away from the main force to encase her breasts in an undulating wave that continuously tickled her rigid nipples.

            “N . . . Nano!” Ana cried out at the sensation and Mikey smiled before nipping lightly at the tip of her breast.

            “I should warn you that Nano will ferret out all of your weaknesses,” Mikey said with a playful lilt to his voice.

            Ana tried to form words, but Mikey was kissing his way across her stomach, his intent so clear that Ana forgot what she wanted to say.  The feeling of a mouth on her neck made her gasp, and then she found herself looking into Nano’s eyes.

            “Mikey’s body is unique and so is mine,” Nano told her.  “I can be anything you want, Ananda.  Any type of pleasure you require, I can provide.”

            Before her mind could fully comprehend the implications of that statement, Nano’s tongue was probing her mouth.

            Mikey pushed against Ana’s thighs to widen her as his mouth completed its downward course.  Ana’s vulva was completely hairless and Mikey stared in fascination at the opening between her legs.  Her scent was strong and told him of her arousal, and when he tentatively passed a finger across her folds he found that she was quite wet.

            Flicking his tongue across her labia, Mikey dug the tip into her center, lapping at the heavily flowing juices.  Her taste was enticing and he repeated the process, making Ana groan and grind her hips against the mattress.

            Nanobots crawled off of Mikey and played out along the length of Ana’s sex; exploring her the way Mikey had done with his tongue.  They recognized the heat flowing from her body as being similar to Mikey’s and tested a sample, sending the message throughout the collective.

            Mikey felt the entire force of nanobots that covered his body quiver simultaneously and he looked up.  He saw Nano’s head turn towards him, his eyes wide and his mouth spread into a bright smile.

            “Please continue, Mikey,” Nano said.  “Ana’s heat makes the collective very happy.”

            Having no idea what Nano was talking about made no difference to Ananda at that moment.  Mikey and Nano had teased her body into a frenzied need, and all she could think about was how much she wanted them inside of her.

            “Mikey,” Ana panted, lifting her head to look at him.  “Please make love to me.”

            Crawling forward again, Mikey braced himself, his hands pressing into the mattress on either side of her body.  Lining his cock up with her entrance, Mikey pushed in.

            Her interior was satiny smooth heat tightly engulfing his shaft.  Her natural lubrication made the slide into her an easy glide and he buried himself completely in his first thrust.

            Mikey’s cock was throbbing and as much as he would have loved to remain immobile to fully enjoy the moment, his instincts took control and pushed him to move.  Ana’s hands gripped his forearms and her legs came up to cross over his buttocks.

            He pulled nearly all of the way out and then drove in again, repeating the process as he steadily sped up.  Mikey’s groan of pleasure turned into a churr as Ana’s vaginal muscles began to snap around his erection.

            Nano watched Ana’s and Mikey’s faces as his collective roiled and swarmed over and into both of their bodies.  The nanobots on Mikey’s cock began to squeeze and release along his length, anxious with anticipation of his release.

            They likewise played along the interior of Ana’s vaginal walls and the delicate outer folds as Mikey began to thrust faster.  Nano felt her body shake each time Mikey’s shaft touched the small bud near the top of her opening and his collective quickly moved to cover it, rolling upon themselves as they stimulated her clitoris.

            With Mikey’s huge organ pounding into her and Nano’s collective exciting her erogenous zones, Ana quickly felt the press of her orgasm gathering in her pelvis.

            “M . . . Mikey, I’m so close,” she stuttered as her hands tightened on his arms.

            Ana’s hips were lifting to meet Mikey’s thrusts, pushing herself against him as hard as she could.  Nano had begun to fuck Mikey’s ass as the Turtle coupled with Ananda, and the first strike against Mikey’s prostate made him grunt, then speed up his movements.

            All three of them fell into a rhythm that began to build to a crescendo.  Eyes half closed, Mikey watched Ana’s face, enthralled at the pure pleasure he saw reflected there.

            In the next moment, she bucked under him, her heels digging into his rear.

            “Ah, Mikey!” Ana screamed as her orgasm hit, rolling up like a crashing wave inside her womb.

            Mikey felt her internal muscles clamp down on his organ and it was enough to tip him over as well.

            “Ana! Yes, baby, yes!  Nano!” Mikey shouted their names in turn as he climaxed.

            Flooded by Ana’s release and Mikey’s semen, Nano froze.  The delicious surge of energy that swept across the collective stopped each of the thousands of nanobots for one glorious moment as they fed on the one thing Nano had come to need more than anything else.

            Head down and breathing hard, Mikey lowered himself onto his elbows.  He could feel the nanobots swarming around his spent penis which was still buried inside Ananda’s body and knew that Nano was enjoying his ‘heat’.

            Ana still had a tight grip on his arms but her legs slowly slid off of Mikey’s rump.  When he looked into her face, he saw that her eyes remained closed and a smile curled her lips.

            Nano gathered himself together and reformed into his human shape on the bed next to the pair.  When Mikey turned his head to look over at him, Nano sat up and pressed a deep kiss to Mikey’s mouth.

            Opening her eyes, Ana watched the pair hovering over her.  Their kiss was tender and filled with such emotion that it touched her deeply, filling her eyes with tears.

            When they stopped, Mikey pulled out of her body and rolled towards Nano, who opened his arms and embraced Mikey’s carapace.  Mikey lay on his side facing Ana, and Nano draped himself over Mikey so that he too could see Ananda.

            Mikey’s eyes moved over Ana’s glowing dome and then he lifted a hand to brush the tears from her face.

            “I hope these mean you’re happy,” Mikey said, grinning at her.

            Ana turned over onto her shoulder and smiled.  “They do.  I’ve never been so happy in my entire life.  Thank you, Mikey.  Thank you, Nano.”

            “We love you, Ananda.  You do not need to thank us for that,” Nano said.

            “We’ve both been in love with you for a while, Ana,” Mikey said.  “I think I first realized it when we were waiting together for the guys to ambush the police.”

            Ana started laughing.  “Do you realize how absurd that sounds?”

            Mikey began laughing as well.  “I guess I do now.”

            She reached out to place the palm of her hand against his cheek.  “This is the only way I know how to live, Mikey.  Absurd, unusual, and dangerous goes with the territory.  I’m so happy to have found love with two others who share and understand those things.”

            Lifting her hand, she touched Nano’s face as well.  “You made this happen, Nano.  You brought us all together.”

            “I have anticipated this moment for many days, Ananda,” Nano admitted.  “I am now content.  Since my creation, I have never wanted anything more than a family.”

            Mikey placed his hand on top of Ana’s.  “We have that now, don’t we, Nano?  We have a really awesome family.”


	89. JF89 The Proposal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 3,899  
> Rated: PG-13  
> Summary: Raptarr pays a visit to the lair.

            Don looked over the parts scattered on his worktable as he decided on the modifications he wanted to make.

            It had been to his advantage a couple of days earlier to have the only working tech pack in the lair, but he’d left his on Avian and he really wanted to put the rest of them back into operating condition.

            Now that he had a more intimate understanding of wing aerodynamics, Don was determined to modify his brother’s packs so that they would have every possible advantage during flight.

            Don smiled as he thought about how he’d acquired his advanced knowledge.  It was hard to beat an up close and personal study of the wings on an Avian.

            Rubbing his eyes, Don began sorting the components into piles.  He should have taken a nap, but after breakfast Leo had wanted to see the information Don had copied from the confiscated thumb drive.

            Afterwards, Leo stood over his shoulder as Don checked some of the information they’d found against records filed with several government agencies.  That entailed the time consuming task of hacking in through back doors in order to gain access to those files.

            Donatello loved Leo to death, but he often wished his brother had a better grasp of technology.  Maybe then he’d appreciate the difficulties that Don went through to pull together the data that Leo required.

            After that was done, Master Splinter had called them all to lunch.  Don would have bowed out since he’d had a late breakfast, but Master Splinter was fixated on family and would not be denied.  He was already disappointed that Mikey had made a getaway and wasn’t about to let any of the three remaining brothers do likewise.  The idea of an extended family had put their Father in that mood in the first place and they were stuck with it for a while.

            When lunch was over, Master Splinter had said something about group meditation and Don had quickly used the excuse of urgent repairs needing his attention.  His escape to the garage had been swift; there were times when he was capable of incredible ninja speed.

            Don’s thoughts were on the comfortable padded seats in the truck as he rode up in the elevator, but upon stepping out his eyes had fallen on the dismantled tech packs.  He knew he needed to attend to them, so with a last longing look at the truck, he set to work.

            The ringing of his shell cell was only a minor surprise and without looking at it he flicked it open with his thumb, sure that it was Mikey.

            “Master Splinter isn’t real happy with you,” Don said.

            _“Nor would I be if I were your Father,”_ Raptarr replied.

            “Raptarr!”  Don said with delight.  “I’m sorry, I thought Mikey was calling.  He took off for the Justice Force building hours ago.”

            _“I saw him arrive,”_ Raptarr said.

            A boom of thunder echoed through the phone and made Don wince.

            “You aren’t out in this storm are you?” Don asked.

            _“I had hoped to have an opportunity to speak to Master Splinter,”_ Raptarr said, bypassing Don’s question.  _“I have much to answer for.”_

            “Where are you?” Don repeated suspiciously.

            _“On the roof of your garage,”_ Raptarr admitted.

            “What?  I’ll open the door, get down . . . .”  Another clap of thunder interrupted him, but Don was already halfway across the garage.

            Opening the small side door, Don found Raptarr waiting for him, his wings shielding him from the rain.  Before the Avian stepped into the garage, he shook them violently and then tucked them in, ducking as he crossed the threshold.

            Don slammed the door shut behind him and turned to ask, “Are you crazy?  You could have been hit by . . . mph!”

            His intended lecture was cut short by Raptarr’s mouth covering his own.  The thrust of Raptarr’s tongue killed the remainder of Don’s tirade.

            “Yes,” Raptarr said as he pulled away from a slightly dazed Donatello.

            “What?” Don asked, blinking as he tried to come back to himself.

            “I am crazy about you,” Raptarr answered.

            “You needn’t be crazy enough to fly around in a thunder storm,” Don scolded.  “You’ll be hit by lightning and I’d rather not lose you that way.”

            “On that count you have nothing to fear,” Raptarr said as he stepped back.  “Avians do not attract lightning and we have an internal warning system that helps us dodge strikes.  We were designed to work in all types of conditions.”

            “How long were you kept by the police?” Don asked, changing the subject.

            “Until quite early this morning.  While Nano and Ananda answered their questions, Tsunami and I attempted to locate Ruffington.  Tsunami discovered his submerged boat close to the shoreline thirty miles from the docks,” Raptarr said.

            “Do you think he made it to shore?” Don asked.

            “Tsunami could not locate his body and there were several car thefts in the area.  The authorities believe Ruffington was responsible for at least one of them.”

            “Leo will be interested in hearing that,” Don said.  “I’m guessing that Nobody will pick up some additional information from the police when he turns over that thumb drive.”

            “Although that is a very important matter, it is in the hands of the proper authorities now and not the reason for my visit,” Raptarr said.

            “Yes,” Don said with a smile, “what exactly is the reason you risked life and limb to come here?”

            He half expected a teasing response but instead was surprised at how somber Raptarr’s face suddenly became.

            “As I said before, I wish to speak to Master Splinter about the things I have done,” Raptarr said.

            “It’s okay, Raptarr.  I’ve already explained everything to my Father,” Don told him.  “He understands what happened to you.”

            “Nonetheless, it is my duty to speak to him as well,” Raptarr insisted.  “Your Father has been a steadfast ally and while my actions may have been driven by my overwhelming physical distress, I must still answer for them.”

            Don could see that his lover would not be dissuaded from his decision, so he merely said, “All right.  I believe he is free at the moment.”

            Riding down in the elevator, Raptarr took Don’s hand in his own and said, “I must speak to him alone, Donatello.”

            Don looked into Raptarr’s eyes and then nodded.  “If you feel as though this is something that you need to do, then I’ll wait in my lab for you.  I want you to know that my brothers and I talked about our new partners and we’ve all agreed to an open, sharing relationship.”

            “Thank you for telling me, and for understanding,” Raptarr said and pressed a quick kiss to Don’s mouth just before the door slid open.

            They found Master Splinter in the dojo with Leo and Raph, watching the pair as they practiced a combination of new moves he was working to teach them.

            After bidding them to continue, Master Splinter walked over to where Don and Raptarr stood.

            “Master Splinter, please excuse my intrusion,” Raptarr said quickly.

            “No guest in my home will ever be considered an intrusion,” Master Splinter told him politely.

            “I know my arrival is unexpected, but a matter of some importance is weighing on me and I needed to address it before more time passes,” Raptarr said.  “I wonder if I might speak to you privately.”

            Master Splinter’s bushy eyebrows lifted and he glanced at Donatello.  From the expression on his son’s face it was apparent that the request was not a surprise to him.

            “Of course.  My room?”  Master Splinter lifted a hand to indicate his door and preceded Raptarr into the room, sliding the shoji shut behind them.

            Leo and Raph stopped practicing as soon as he was gone and looked at Don curiously.  All Don could do was shrug.

            Master Splinter waved Raptarr to a seat on a thick cushion placed in front of his low table and moved around to take a seat on the other side of it.  The expression on his face as he looked at his guest was one of polite expectation.

            “I would first like to apologize for the anguish that I have caused you and your family,” Raptarr began.  “My thoughts were completely obsessed with Donatello and I never for a moment considered his family when I took him to Avian.  Once the physicians began to work on him, I should have returned here to tell you what had happened.”

            “From what I have since learned through several different sources, you were incapable of doing so,” Master Splinter murmured.  “I would not expect Donatello to tell me he was with you on Avian when he was injured nor would I expect the same from you.”

            Raptarr shook his head, his face full of pain.  “There is a difference.  Don was unconscious and immobile but I was neither.  I must be honest when I say that I thought of no one except Don.  My thoughts and my actions were both selfish.”

            Master Splinter smiled.  “When the life of my son is in the balance, I could only hope for more such selfishness.  Yes, we were worried and frightened at his disappearance.  Yes, we would have liked to have known sooner that you had rescued him.  The fact remains, my good friend, that you did rescue him and save his life.  In the aftermath of all that has occurred, the only thing that is important to me is that Donatello is alive and well.”

            “I shall accept that and feel honored that you bear me no ill will,” Raptarr said.  “The second thing I would like to speak of is how I feel about Donatello.  I am deeply in love with him.”

            “This is something that you have felt for some time, is it not?” Master Splinter asked.  At Raptarr’s startled look, the old rat smiled.  “Some things a Father sees more clearly than others do.  My only concern with that situation was how his brothers would react if he were to return the interest.”

            “Donatello tells me they have reached an accord in that regard,” Raptarr said.

            “Just this morning in fact,” Master Splinter replied with a laugh.  “I am proud that even though there may be some discord, eventually my four children manage to resolve their differences equitably.”

            “I promise you that I will never do anything to hurt Donatello,” Raptarr said quite seriously.

            Master Splinter stared into the Avian’s face for several long minutes and then nodded.  “I can see the truth of that in your eyes.  It is all a parent can ask of the person his son loves.”

            “Then I would like to broach the third reason for my presence,” Raptarr said slowly.  “Donatello and I have . . . bonded and Avian’s mate for life.  When we take a mate, it is customary amongst our people to have a joining ceremony.  It is a tradition that must be performed during the once yearly mating season.”

            Holding himself completely still, Master Splinter said, “Please continue.”

            “The ceremony must be completed at dusk,” Raptarr said.  “I would like your permission as Donatello’s Father to ask him if he would be joined with me.  If he were to do me this honor, we would leave immediately for Avian.”

            “It is a ceremony to proclaim your lifelong commitment to one another?” Master Splinter asked.

            “Yes.”  Raptarr sat straight and proud as he spoke, his manner simultaneously respectful.  “Donatello is the part of me that has been lost since my birth,” Raptarr said.  “He is the one who makes the air around me taste sweet.  I swear to you that while I draw breath nothing shall ever happen to him.  If we were to ever separate I know I would survive, but I could not _live_.  For me, Donatello is everything.”

            Master Splinter drew a deep breath, impressed with the passion in Raptarr’s voice.

            “I have no doubt of your sincerity,” Master Splinter said, “and since my son has already chosen to form a bond with you, I must respect his decision in the matter.  Donatello is extremely intelligent and would not have entered into such a union without having thought it through.  Therefore, you may have my blessing and my permission to ask him to take this next step.  Understand that I shall honor his choice regarding this ceremony you speak of.  It is entirely up to him.”

            “Of course,” Raptarr agreed.  “I too shall honor whatever decision he makes and promise that I shan’t bring undo pressure to bear.  It is merely a custom amongst my people and he may not feel comfortable performing it with me.”

            Smiling, Master Splinter said, “If I may impart a little secret to you about Donatello it is this; he will most likely do anything you ask if he sees that it is important to you.  Not only is my son intelligent, he is a great giver.”

            “It is one of the things I love about him,” Raptarr said truthfully.  “Before I leave, I would like to extend an invitation to you, your family, and your friends to attend a celebration of our union which we call the ‘gathering of family’.  That is of necessity contingent on Donatello saying yes to my proposal.”

            “We shall be delighted to celebrate with you,” Master Splinter said, his ears perking up.  He truly enjoyed parties where he was surrounded by friends and family.  “When does it take place?”

            “Two nights following the joining ceremony,” Raptarr answered.  “I will make arrangements for transportation to Avian for everyone who would like to attend.”

            Master Splinter stood and Raptarr rose gracefully to his feet to follow him.  Opening the shoji, Master Splinter stepped out into the lair and Raptarr accompanied him.

            Turning to face Raptarr, Master Splinter took one of the Avian’s hands between his own and held it as he said, “I am confident that you will receive the answer you are hoping for.  Welcome to my family, Raptarr.”

            Raptarr could feel a moistness pricking at his eyes at the genuineness in Master Splinter’s words.

            “Thank you, Master Splinter,” Raptarr said with a low bow.

            Leo and Raph heard Master Splinter’s door slide open.  Don had left them within a few minutes of Raptarr’s disappearance into their Father’s room, refusing to satisfy their curiosity.

            Raph glanced quickly at Leo and then darted across the dojo on silent feet.  He was so fast that Leo didn’t have the opportunity to even attempt to stop him.  Unsure of his brother’s intent, Leo followed, coming to a halt before reaching the door.  Apparently Raph’s purpose was to eavesdrop and since Leo couldn’t dissuade him of that notion without giving away their position, he stood and quietly listened as well.

            Upon hearing Master Splinter’s words, Raph and Leo exchanged looks.  When Master Splinter went back into his room and shut the door, Raptarr turned towards Don’s lab.

            A mischievous grin pulled up one corner of Raph’s mouth.

            Knowing that didn’t bode well, Leo hissed, “What are you thinking about doing?”

            Raph met his eyes, the twinkle in his unmistakable.  “Remember when we were little and wanted ta find out what was going on?”

            Leo grabbed his arm.  “You are not going to listen in on a private conversation.”

            “Ya’ wanna be left in the dark about what’s going on again?” Raph asked, twisting away from Leo’s grip.

            Raphael was halfway across the lair before Leo gave in and followed him.  Raptarr didn’t see or hear them as he entered Don’s lab and Raph reached the door just as it was closing.  Sticking his foot out quickly, Raph stopped it before the latch bolt caught.

            Don made use of his time while waiting for Raptarr to sketch out the design modifications he planned for his brother’s tech packs.  Making various notes in the margins, Don had the diagrams he needed to complete his work quickly.

            Hearing Raptarr’s approach, Don looked up and smiled.  The expression on Raptarr’s face was devoid of emotion and unreadable, making the smile slip from Don’s mouth.

            “Is something wrong?” Don asked immediately.

            Raptarr shook his head, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards.  It was then that Don realized Raptarr wasn’t upset, he was nervous.

            “Your Father has agreed to allow me to ask a question of you,” Raptarr began, taking Don’s hand and urging him to get up from his chair.

            “What kind of question?” Don asked a bit breathlessly.  Raptarr’s touch was gentle, but his demeanor was strongly masculine.

            Raph eased the door a bit wider and kneeled down so he could peek inside.  He could see both Raptarr and Don in profile, noting with more than a little curiosity the way Raptarr held his brother’s hand.

            Leo leaned over Raph so that he too could look into Don’s lab.  His misgivings about prying were gone as he succumbed to his own intense need to know what was happening.

            “I do not know the proper way to do this since you are not Avian,” Raptarr said, “so I must emulate what I have seen in televised programs.  Please promise that you will not laugh at me?”

            Don shook his head as he smiled.  “I would never laugh at you.”

            Raptarr’s hand shook slightly and then he lowered his body until he was on his knees.  Don’s eyes widened as he watched his lover assume a position that was highly recognizable.

            Clearing his throat, Raptarr said, “Donatello, you and I have bonded.  For me that is a lifelong commitment.  There can and will be no other to ever take your place.  I hope that you feel as strongly for me as I feel for you.  On Avian, when we choose a mate, we pledge ourselves to them during the joining ceremony.  Would you do me the honor of joining with me at dusk this evening?”

            For once, Don was at a loss for words.  “A . . . a joining c . . . ceremony?”

            Raptarr smiled.  “Avian is a place rife with tradition.  The ceremony does not take long, but it is of great significance to our people.”

            _Great significance to our people_ echoed in Don’s head.  Raptarr was nothing if not a traditionalist and Don understood how important this would be to him.  He also knew that because of Raptarr’s standing amongst his people, his following this type of tradition would be hugely meaningful to them as well.

            Don also felt extremely honored to have someone who wanted to proclaim their feelings for him in such a public way.

            With a smile wide enough to light up the room, Don said, “Of course I will join with you.”

            Raptarr leapt to his feet and wrapped both his arms and his wings around Don, his hungry mouth finding his Turtle lover’s.

            Raphael clapped a hand over his mouth and skittered back from the doorway.  Leo had the presence of mind to reach out and silently pull the door closed before he too moved.

            Glancing around, Leo saw Raph duck into the kitchen and he raced after him.

            “What  . . . ?” Leo started to ask when he saw Raph leaning over the sink.

            Raph turned around, his entire face contorted in mirth.  With his hand pressed to his mouth, Raph was attempting to hold back gales of laughter.

            Leo could feel his own laughter trying to rush up and compressed his lips as he said, “That wasn’t supposed to be funny.”

            It was too much for Raph, who finally let loose, laughing so hard he was doubled over.  Leo managed to hold on for a full ten seconds before he busted out laughing too.

            “M . . . Mikey’s gonna be fit to be tied when we tell him what he missed,” Raph finally choked out.

            “I shouldn’t b . . . be laughing,” Leo said, almost but not quite managing to stop.

            “Donny just got proposed to,” Raph spit out before the laughter stole his voice again.

            It was a good ten minutes before the pair got themselves under control.  Raph wiped his eyes with the backs of his hands and took several deep breaths to gain his composer as Leo grabbed a couple of bottles of water from the refrigerator.

            Taking a long drink from his, Raph watched Leo put the cool bottle against his slightly swollen eyes.  It was nice to see Leo so overtaken by merriment that he lost himself in that emotion.

            “We’d better not let Don know we were eavesdropping on that,” Leo said solemnly, although the hint of a grin was still on his lips.

            “Yeah,” Raph agreed, “his paybacks hurt a lot more than Mikey’s, that’s for sure.”

            They were both seated at the kitchen table talking quietly when Don and Raptarr came in.  Raph bit his tongue as a reminder to control his humor, but Leo looked to have his emotions completely in check again.

            “Raptarr is going to help me finish up the repairs on the tech packs and then we’re going to Avian,” Don told them.  “Master Splinter already knows.  Raptarr asked me to  . . . to perform a ceremony with him that makes us an official couple on Avian.”

            “You’re gonna get married?” Raph asked with a perfectly straight face.

            He felt Leo kick him under the table and he kicked back.  It was a legitimate question.

            Of course, the satisfaction Raph got from watching Donny blush was purely personal, but he couldn’t help that.

            “Something like that,” Don admitted.  “Two nights from now there’s going to be a family gathering for everyone on Avian, so you guys plan on being there.

            “Oh, kinda like a reception,” Raph said, grinning despite his best efforts.  “Ya’ gonna throw a bouquet?”

            “G . . . garter belt,” Leo stammered out, unable to hold on longer as his laughter started to bubble up once more.

            Don glared at both of them but they didn’t notice, too caught up in their own hilarity.

            “Ya’ gonna wear a v . . . veil, Donny?” Raph asked.

            Raptarr was looking from one to the other, his expression that of amused yet puzzled tolerance.

            Don turned to face Raptarr, “Let’s go up to the garage and finish assembling the tech packs so we can leave.  The rain should be letting up soon.  I’m still debating on whether I should add certain modifications to a couple of those packs.”

            He turned a significant glance towards his brothers before shifting his duffel bag to one shoulder and walking out of the kitchen, hand in hand with Raptarr.

            “Ya’ thinking what I’m thinking?” Raph asked Leo.

            “That we shouldn’t use those tech packs?” Leo answered with his own question.

            “Yeah,” Raph said.  Looking at his water and then at the refrigerator, he asked, “How about we break open something a little stronger to celebrate Don’s engagement?”

            Leo smiled at him.  Beer wasn’t his favorite thing in the world, but it wasn’t often his brother asked.  “Sure, I think the occasion calls for it.”

            Happier than he’d been for a while, Raph snagged two bottles of beer from the fridge, popping the top from Leo’s before handing it to him.  Looking at each other over the rims, they touched their bottles together.

            “To family,” Raph said.

            “Family,” Leo echoed.


	90. JF90 At Last My Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 5,082  
> Rated: NC-17 adult concepts and situations, mild TCest, yaoi - graphic, language  
> Summary: Leo and Nobody are finally alone together.

            “I just talked ta Mikey on the shell cell,” Raph said as he flipped over the back of the couch to settle comfortably onto the cushions.  “He yelled so loud that he nearly broke my eardrum when I told him he’d missed seeing Raptarr down on one knee proposing ta Donny.”

            Leo’s muffled voice barely reached Raph over the sound of the hand vacuum.  “Knowing what Mikey’s reaction would be, you should have pulled the phone farther away from your head.”

            Raph chuckled.  “Yeah.”  The puzzled look as he stared in Leo’s direction was soon replaced by a hungrier one.  All that Raph could see of his brother as he delved behind the TV array was Leo’s tail.

            Sitting a little straighter as he strained his neck for a better view, Raph asked, “What the shell are ya’ doing?”

            “Klunk chased something back here,” Leo said, following that with a small grunt.

            A second later his forest green rear became visible as he backed up far enough to yank a pizza box out of hiding and toss it on the floor.  With a flick of his tail, the fleshy part of Leo’s anatomy disappeared again.

            “It was one of those giant centipedes,” Leo continued.  “Klunk didn’t catch it; I’m pretty sure it went inside one of the TV cabinets.  While I was back here I discovered how Mikey manages to clean this room so quickly when it’s his turn.”

            Leo’s butt became briefly visible again as he leaned back to add two empty soda cans to the box.

            “So ya’ give him that chore for an extra week and ground his ass from seeing his boyfriend,” Raph suggested, shifting once more as the tantalizing view of his brother’s ass moved out of sight.  “And ya’ should leave that mess back there for him ta clean up.”

            “I know . . . ouch . . . that,” Leo said as he backed all the way out and switched off the hand vac.

            He inspected the drop of blood on his finger and then stuck it in his mouth.

            Setting the vacuum down on the coffee table, he said around a mouthful of finger, “But I don’t know how long he’s going to be gone and if that thing comes out I want a clear shot at it.”

            The sight of Leo’s wide pink tongue and the sucking sound he was making only served to exacerbate Raph’s growing dilemma.

            “I thought I was the one who hated bugs,” Raph said in a voice that was now an octave lower.

            “It’s time for Donny to spray some of his homemade insecticide around here,” Leo said, pulling his finger from his mouth to inspect it.

            “Don’t count on that happening until after Don comes back from his ‘honeymoon’,” Raph told Leo with a laugh.

            Leo looked up at him, a smile on his face.  “You’d better get that out of your system while he’s gone.  You remember what happened the last time you decided to tease him mercilessly about something.”

            “I’m a lot smarter now,” Raph retorted.  “I know just how far ta go and then I stop.  Last time left a lasting impression.”

            “It’s nice to know you learn faster than Mikey,” Leo said.

            “Speaking of the twerp, he ain’t gonna be back tonight.  He’s too busy finding out something new about himself.”  Raph’s grin broadened.  “No Mikey, no Donny; looks like it’s just ya’ and me at dinner.  Ya’ hungry for anything in particular?”

            As he said that, Raph’s legs opened and he splayed himself out on the couch, his display both obvious and lecherous.

            Leo’s eye ridges lifted.  “Try not to be so subtle, bro’,” he said, laughing.

            “I know Don hasn’t had a chance ta fix your room,” Raph said, “but if I recall, we didn’t wreck your bed.”

            “You do remember that I’m waiting on a call from Nobody don’t you?” Leo asked.  “At your urging, I might add.”

            “Call it a warm up,” Raph said as he leaned towards his brother.  “Ya’ won’t have ta waste so much time getting prepped for him later.”

            “Why do you always assume I’m going to bottom?”  Leo glanced significantly at Raph’s ass.

            “Ya’ been off your game lately,” Raph teased.  “Letting yourself get shot, losing track of part of your team, getting fooled by Mik . . . .”

            “Sounds like it’s time I exerted my authority,” Leo interrupted, eyes gleaming.

            “I thought ya’ called it your dick,” Raph shot back, his heart beat quickening.

            Before Leo could answer, his shell cell rang.  Pulling his eyes away from Raph’s lascivious pose, Leo dug the phone out of his belt and flicked it open.

            “Hello.”

            _“Leonardo.”_   It was Nobody.  Leo shot a glance at Raph’s smirk and walked further away.

            “Did you have any problems with turning that thumb drive over to the authorities?” Leo asked.

            Nobody’s low chuckle curled Leo’s toes.  _“None.  I had to stop and stitch up the rip in my mask and then get it on over Donatello’s bandaging job first.  That worked out better for me; as the Justice Force member known as Nobody, I had fewer difficulties than I would have if I had presented it to them as a fellow police officer.”_

            “That costume carries with it an aura of scrupulousness,” Leo noted.

            _“Not the costume; the Justice Force.  As a lone vigilante I was as unwelcome as an arsonist during a heat wave,”_ Nobody said.  _“They now have plenty of proof to incarcerate Ruffington for an extremely long time.  The only thing left is to find the man.”_

            “There are no leads?” Leo asked.

            _“Other than chasing down stolen vehicle reports and following up on sightings of men who look like him they have nothing.”_   Nobody’s sigh was audible.  _“Unfortunately, he looks like every third man.”_

            “He’ll be found,” Leo said confidently.  “Maybe it’s nothing more than a strong gut feeling, but I’m sure he won’t escape.”

            _“I’ve come to trust your gut,”_ Nobody said.  Clearing his throat, he asked, _“If I give you an address, could you meet me at nine o’clock?”_

            Leo felt a familiar tightness in his throat as his heart thudded inside his chest.  “Yes, of course.  Rooftop?”

            _“For a start,”_ Nobody replied in a deeper tone.

            Raph sat with one ankle draped over a knee, turned slightly so he could watch Leo.  The low murmur of Leo’s end of the conversation reached him, but not the words.  He didn’t require the words; Leo’s body language told Raph everything he needed to know.

            He watched Leo’s hand tighten on the phone and then the way his brother’s tail stiffened.  With a wide grin he made no attempt to hide, Raph waited patiently for Leo to hang up.

            Leo could feel Raph’s eyes on him.  After he finished talking to Nobody, Leo looked over and saw Raph’s smug smile.

            “What?” Leo demanded.

            “I guess I’m on my own tonight,” Raph said as he laughed.  “Hey, if he don’t live up ta expectations, ya’ know where ta find me.”

            “You’re incorrigible,” Leo said.

            “That’s a good thing right?” Raph asked.  Watching as Leo headed up the stairs, he added, “Where ya’ going?”

            “Shower.”  Leo’s answer floated down to him.

            Raph stood up, his face almost splitting from his grin as he said, “I think Mikey hid some of that good smelling soap behind the towels.”

            “Shut up,” Leo replied.

            “What about this mess ya’ left down here?” Raph called.

            “Pick it up, you haven’t anything else to do,” Leo answered just before closing the bathroom door.

**************************

            The address Nobody had given him took Leo to a four story apartment building in a slightly run down section of the city.

            His friend had said he’d meet Leo on the roof at nine and it was exactly that time when the turtle hopped over the ledge and squatted in the shadows.

            “I have always loved how prompt you are,” Nobody said, stepping out into the open.

            Leo stood up and walked towards him, noting that tonight Nobody was dressed in casual attire, his dark clothes and secret persona apparently shut away for the evening.

            “You’ve never kept me waiting either,” Leo said with a quick smile.

            “Two of a kind,” Nobody said.  “They say that opposites attract, but that doesn’t seem to be the case between us.”

            “No it doesn’t.  I’ve felt very drawn to you since the first time we met, when you swooped out of nowhere to save Mikey and I,” Leo admitted.

            “And I to you,” Nobody said.  He laughed lightly.  “You and Michelangelo made quite the team that night.”

            Leo’s smile came back.  “He guessed right away that you were a superhero.”  With his own laugh, Leo said, “I told him, ‘or a wacko’.”

            Nobody’s dark eyes searched Leo’s amber ones.  “How long did it take you to change your mind?”

            “That same night actually,” Leo said.  “I told Mikey that you were kinda cool.”

            “Cool, huh?”  Nobody moved closer to him.  “Cool is good.”

            “Cool is very good,” Leo said, accepting the kiss Nobody pressed against his lips.

            It was brief as Nobody lifted his head and glanced around.  “It doesn’t look like much, but this is where I live,” he said.  “Not Nobody, the Justice Force member; he has a room in the JF building.  I didn’t want to meet with you there because I feel like you should be the one individual I share my real self with.”

            “Does that mean I get to know your first name, Officer Longer?” Leo asked quietly.

            “John,” Nobody answered.  “Just John.”

            “I happen to like the name John,” Leo said.  “To me you are not a ‘just’ anything.”

            Nobody reached up to catch Leo’s fluttering mask tails and played them between his fingers.  “Let me show you my apartment,” he suggested in a more guttural tone of voice.

            Leo nodded, his heart pounding against his chest as Nobody opened the roof access door and led him downstairs.  The first apartment door on the right was partially open and Nobody pushed it the rest of the way, standing aside for Leo to enter.

            As Nobody locked and bolted the door behind them, Leo surveyed the darkened apartment.  It was extremely modest in its furnishings; very clean and quite Spartan.  Almost exactly the way Leo kept his own room back at the lair.

            They were standing in the living room and as Nobody came up alongside Leo, he pointed to the right and said, “That’s the kitchen.”  Pointing straight ahead of them he said, “That’s my bedroom.”

            Leo glanced sideways to catch Nobody’s eye.  “Show it to me.”

            He saw Nobody’s throat move as the man swallowed before preceding Leo into the bedroom.  When Nobody reached for the light switch, Leo’s hand covered his quickly.

            “We don’t need it,” Leo whispered.

            There was enough moonlight coming through the thin curtains for Leo to see Nobody nod his head.  Closing the door behind them, Nobody walked towards the bed, stopping to turn and look at Leo when he was still a couple of feet away from it.

            Leo could tell that Nobody was nervous so he held his head up confidently as he crossed the intervening space to plant himself almost directly against the man.  Placing a hand on Nobody’s bicep, he slid it upwards, stroking Nobody’s neck before twining his fingers in the man’s short, dark hair.

            “I want this,” Leo told him.  “But I won’t be hurt if you’re having second thoughts.  The idea of being with another man has to have given you some qualms, not to mention the fact that I’m not human.”

            “I’m not nervous because of any doubts regarding my decision, Leo,” Nobody said, knowing his soon to be lover had read his body language.  “Mostly I’m uncertain of what exactly I’m supposed to do.”

            “I’ve only ever been with my brothers,” Leo said in return, “so I would suggest we just go slow and figure this out together.  We have all night.”

            “And this time, no interruptions,” Nobody said.

            Nobody wrapped his arms around Leo’s shoulders and pulled their bodies together as he once more led them into another kiss.  This one was deeper and more sensual as they took the time to slide their tongues together and fully taste one another.

            Leo rested his free hand on Nobody’s hip and squeezed it gently.  Nobody shivered against him, letting Leo know that the touch was welcome and exciting.

            Leaning away from the kiss, Nobody asked, “May I remove your mask?  I want to see you, the real you, just as I want you to see and know the real me.”

            “Of course,” Leo said, smiling as Nobody reached up to untie the knot on his mask.

            Letting it flutter to the floor, Nobody swept the tips of his fingers along Leo’s jawline and then tipped the Turtle’s head back so he could look again into the amber eyes he’d come to love so much.  Without the mask they seemed so much clearer; both brighter and deeper than Nobody had ever noticed before.

            “Your eyes are so unique,” Nobody whispered in awe.

            “I like the ways yours look at me,” Leo said with feeling.  “They’ve never seen me as frightening or strange.  In them I don’t see myself as a mutated creature that has no place in this world.”

            “You should never view yourself that way,” Nobody told him.  “You are incredible both inside and out.  I would wish the world could know you the way I do, but I’m too selfish for that.  I want to keep you for myself.”

            “Just as to me you’ll always be John Longer, a very special somebody,” Leo said.

            Once more they kissed, Nobody holding Leo’s face between his palms.  Leo placed his hands against Nobody’s tight abdomen and slid upwards, feeling the play of muscle beneath the cotton of his lover’s shirt.

            Leo’s fingers found the buttons and carefully opened them.  He could feel Nobody’s heartbeat against his knuckles and the air puffing from the dark man’s nostrils intensified along with their kiss.

            Pulling the ends of Nobody’s shirt out of the waistband of his jeans, Leo broke the kiss so that he could push the shirt open and tug it off of Nobody’s arms.  His friend was bare beneath the shirt and Leo pressed his hands to the warm, hairless skin.

            Leo had touched his lover like this only one other time and had marveled at the broad chest, wide shoulders, and strong, rippling core of Nobody’s physique.  This time they had no fear of someone walking in on them and Leo took the time to let his fingers memorize every square inch of skin before they settled on Nobody’s belt buckle.

            Nobody inhaled quickly, standing perfectly still as he watched and felt Leo’s erotic caress.  His mind went nearly blank when he saw Leo’s strong green hands release the buckle on his belt and then slip the button loose at the top of his jeans.

            Looking up into Nobody’s eyes, Leo grasped the tab on the zipper of his jeans and pulled it down.

            This tips of Leo’s fingers grazed Nobody’s burgeoning hard on and it throbbed in reaction.  He never thought he could become so aroused at another’s man touch, but Leo seemed to know exactly what to do to drive Nobody wild with desire.

            Slipping his thumbs into the waistband of the jeans, Leo pushed them down.  Nobody quickly slid his feet out of his shoes and then stepped out of his pants when they hit the ground.

            Standing completely bare except for a pair of blue boxers, Nobody sucked in air through his mouth to calm himself.  His erection was already tenting his undershorts and he didn’t want his excitement to get too far out of control just yet.

            With a little laugh, Nobody said, “I haven’t been with anyone since my ex.”

            “No one at all?” Leo asked him, a bit surprised.

            “No,” Nobody answered.  “I want to remove your gear.”

            “All right,” Leo said, understanding that Nobody needed something specific to do in order to calm himself.

            Leo removed his katanas, settling them carefully atop the dresser.  Walking back over to Nobody, he waited quietly as Nobody began to pull the few articles of ‘clothing’ from his body.

            “My divorce was just another part of my slide into depression,” Nobody said as he worked, wanting Leo to understand some things about him.  “We hadn’t been in love for a while; she married me because she wanted to have someone take care of her.  I didn’t realize how shallow her personality was until she left during a time when I could have used her support.”

            Nobody stripped Leo’s kneepads off and stood up to look at the Turtle.  “I was too focused on retrieving my honor after that to even think about being with anyone else.  When I met you I realized that you were essentially everything I had always wanted in a partner.”

            “I would worry that we’re moving too fast for you,” Leo said as a corner of his mouth twitched up into a smile, “except that we’ve danced around becoming lovers for some time now.”

            “Let’s stop dancing,” Nobody said breathlessly, pressing against Leo’s body with his own and planting his mouth firmly against Leo’s strong neck.

            Leo’s gasp told him he’d found a sensitive spot and he bore down on it, quivering when Leo’s arms snaked around his waist and pulled him tighter.  Nobody’s cock was rigidly hard and he pressed it against Leo’s lower plastron, surprised to feel a bulge in the normally smooth scutes.

            “John,” Leo husked; his arousal complete and his cock desperate to be allowed out of confinement.  “You’ve never been with a man.  Do you want to go all the way tonight?  We don’t have to; we can simply explore one another.”

            “I want it all now,” Nobody said, his voice slightly muffled as he continued to taste Leonardo’s skin.  “I’ve waited long enough to be with you.  I think I understand the fundamentals well enough; you can lead me through the specifics.”

            “Then let me bottom for you,” Leo said.  “You . . . you’re a virgin and that way you’ll learn by example.”

            Just the word virgin made Leo’s cock pulse and expand.  He desperately wanted to take Nobody, but he didn’t want to hurt the man.

            Nobody took a deep breath and released his hold on Leo, stepping back towards the bed.  Reaching for his waistband, Nobody pushed his boxers off of his body and kicked them aside.

            The tip of his hard cock glistened with precome and when Leo moved closer, the veins along the shaft seemed to spring up in excitement.

            “I’m going to bottom for you,” Nobody announced decisively.  “For once in my life I’m going to give someone else control.  I owe you that much for my putting so many obstacles in our path to start with; I need to prove that I have complete trust in you.”

            Leo stared at him, not moving for several heartbeats.  “You have no idea what to do; how to relax those muscles.  I could hurt you.”

            Nobody shook his head, preparing to make an admission.  “My ex and I played a little.  She had a . . . a vibrator and used it on me a couple of times.”  Nobody took a deep breath.  “This is embarrassing.”

            Leo rubbed Nobody’s chest and said, “Telling me some of your deepest secrets isn’t embarrassing.  It’s extremely moving.”

            Touching his mouth to Leo’s, Nobody plied his lover with a deep, seductive kiss.  He then placed the palm of his hand on Leo’s plastron, enjoying the rough feel against his skin.

            Leo covered Nobody’s hand with one of his own and began to guide it lower.  He wanted Nobody to know every inch of his body and he desperately wanted to feel the man’s hand on his erection.

            When Nobody’s hand reached the bulge between Leo’s legs, he suddenly understood what had been pressing back against his cock.  Leo’s mutation had changed where his penis was hidden, combining the original turtle DNA with the human DNA left on the epithelia of the last person to touch him.

            Feeling a softer section of Leo’s scutes expanding under his hand, Nobody pressed the side of his finger into the widening slit.  As soon as his finger made contact with Leo’s cock, the Turtle gasped and shook.

            Teasing Leo’s dick with the side of his finger, Nobody watched his lovers face avidly.  Leo’s eyes were closed and he was biting his lip, but a second later his mouth opened as he released a long, relieved sigh.

            Leo dropped down, his cock fully engorged and thrumming with need.

            Nobody’s eyes drifted downwards as he wrapped his fist around Leo’s cock.  Inhaling sharply, Nobody realized that he had never seen anyone as big as Leo was in his entire life.

            “I . . . read about turtles,” Nobody confessed.  “I think I even daydreamed once about how large you might be.  My guess wasn’t even close.”

            “J . . . John,” Leo stuttered as his lover began to stroke him.  “We can still change positions.”

            Nobody let go so he could lie back on the bed.  “Deciding to bottom for you might not have been the most prudent decision I’ve ever made,” he said with a touch of humor, “but I’ll stick with my earlier reasoning.”

            Leo swallowed as he watched Nobody’s cock bob with his lover’s movements.  Turning, Leo quickly reached into his belt and pulled out the tube of lubricant he’d brought with him, thankful he’d thought to bring a large one.

            Approaching the bed, Leo crawled between Nobody’s outstretched legs.  Bracing himself on his hands, he leaned down until his plastron was against Nobody’s chest and kissed his lover.

            Nobody’s cock danced against Leo’s and he lifted his hips so that he could grind them together.  Leo’s moan was thoroughly satisfying and so was the feeling of Leo lowering more of his weight so that their cock’s throbbed against each other.

            Groaning, Nobody pulled his mouth away.  “If you don’t hurry, I’m going to explode,” Nobody confessed in a breathy whisper.

            Leo took a deep breath and nodded.  Going back onto his knees, he opened the tube and doused one finger with the lubricant.

            “Concentrate on keeping your body relaxed,” Leo instructed.  “I’m going to lubricate you and stretch your anal canal.  It won’t stay that way for long; it’s mainly so you’ll get used to the feeling of something inside of you.”

            “Go ahead,” Nobody said, entranced by the concentrated look on Leo’s face.

            Slowly, Leo touched his finger to Nobody’s opening and then pushed in up to the first knuckle.  He could feel Nobody clenching around him and stopped at that point, wiggling the tip just a little.

            Pulling his finger back out, he dribbled more lubricant onto the digit and pushed it back inside his partner’s body.  This time Nobody was more relaxed, understanding that the sting would fade.  Leo only went in up to his second knuckle and this time as he crooked the tip, he turned his finger all the way over.

            “How are you doing?” Leo asked, his eyes on Nobody’s face.

            “Mmm,” Nobody hummed.  His eyes had closed to mere slits as he focused on resisting the urge to tense up.  “Keep going.”

            Once more, Leo extracted his finger and applied another large dollop of lubricant to it.  With a nice, firm movement, Leo pushed his entire finger into Nobody’s ass.

            Nobody hissed and his cock deflated just a little, but other than that he didn’t move.  Leo felt Nobody’s inner muscles clamp down on his invasion for just a second before Nobody brought them under control.

            Twisting around inside Nobody, Leo made sure to coat the walls of his lover’s anus with a liberal amount of lubricant before sliding his finger out again.  Applying lube to two of his fingers, he pushed both inside Nobody’s tight anal canal.

            “Damn Leo,” Nobody murmured, both of his hands gripping the sheets next to him.

            “I’m going to scissor them,” Leo explained, following the words with action. 

            When his fingers turned, he brushed up against Nobody’s prostate.

            “Gah!” Nobody cried out, his feet straightening and then curving back as a jolt of pleasure shot into his groin.  “What the hell . . . ?”

            Leo couldn’t help but smile.  “Prostate.  It’s . . . sensitive.”

            Pressing against the spot again, Leo was delighted to see Nobody’s cock spring back to full life.

            “Holy mother of . . . damn!”  Nobody exclaimed, his eyes wide with surprise.  “If you do that again, I’m going to shoot my load.”

            “I think that means you’re ready,” Leo said, pulling his fingers from Nobody’s ass.  “I’m going to reposition you, John.  Since this is your first time, you should be lying in a way that relaxes your anus the most.”

            “Do it quickly,” Nobody urged, his need growing stronger by the second.

            “Turn over but keep your hips up,” Leo told him.

            Nobody quickly complied, his legs spread wide and knees up to his stomach.  He felt Leo move closer to him and then heard the squelching sound that told him his lover was lubricating his thick green cock.

            Leo’s body was quivering as he put one hand on Nobody’s warm hip to steady the man.  Taking a full, deep breath, Leo placed the tip of his dick against Nobody’s entrance and started to push in.

            Nobody was trying to concentrate on the residual tingle left over from when Leo stroked his prostate and not think about how large his lovers cock happened to be.  The effort lasted about three seconds as his ass felt like it was being spread apart by a fire brand.

            “Ugh!  Leo, stop!”  Nobody panted.  “M . . . more lubricant, please.”

            Leo swiped his tongue across his lips and pulled out.  Squeezing the lubricant onto his cock, his coated it with a thick layer of the slick stuff before beginning to push into Nobody once more.

            “Better?” he asked, making sure his slide was slow and steady.

            “Yes,” Nobody said, his head pressed against the mattress and twisted to the side so he could just see Leo’s elbow.  It wasn’t much, but it gave him something to focus on.

            Concentrating on his breathing, Leo finally managed to bury himself to the hilt in Nobody’s ass.  The man was tight and hot around his shaft, the feeling more wonderful than he’d ever imagined.

            “Are you ready for me to move?” Leo asked as calmly as he could manage.

            Nobody was amazed at his lover’s tight control.  Leonardo never failed to surprise him and that was another of the reasons that Nobody had come to love him.

            “Do it,” Nobody said, holding his breath.

            Sliding back slightly, Leo gave a shallow thrust.  The tip of his dick struck against something velvety soft and a jolt of pure bliss shot into his groin.  His first churr broke free and made Nobody grin with delight, the sound taking his mind away from the mild burn in his ass.

            Moving faster, Leo began to drive more of his length forward and back with each thrust.  Leaning farther over Nobody’s back, Leo reached under his lover and grasped the man’s cock in a tight grip.

            Nobody hips jerked in response and Leo began pumping him expertly, his rhythm and speed exactly perfect as he pulled Nobody towards his release.

            Then Leo’s cock hit the spot inside Nobody that he hadn’t until tonight ever known about.  Nobody grunted as the pleasure coiled inside his gut, adding to the pressure that Leo’s hand was already creating.

            As Leo rocked into Nobody, he jacked his lover with a precise skill he’d learned from years of practicing on his brothers.  Even as his focus centered on the rolling waves of delight radiating into his groin, he was determined to bring Nobody off first.

            Leo’s cock began to consistently massage Nobody’s prostate; each strike shooting spikes into the man’s lower regions.  His body jumped and twitched against the bed as he was pulled ever closer to the edge of release.

            Drawing close to his own climax, Leo felt Nobody’s cock suddenly expand and twist in his hand.

            “Ugh, Leo!” Nobody shouted as he orgasmed, his seed expelled in a torrent stronger than any he’d ever felt.

            Leo’s thrusts grew harder and faster for another minute before they became more frenetic.  With a loud grunt, Leo came, shooting strongly into his lover.

            Riding out his orgasm, Leo released his hold on Nobody’s cock.  He could hear the man’s heavy breathing and feel the quaking of his body as Nobody spasmed through several tiny aftershocks.

            Totally depleted, Leo pulled out of Nobody’s ass carefully and tucked his cock back into its protective pocket.  Reaching down, he bunched the wet sheet into a bundle as Nobody rolled onto his side.

            Leo crawled up next to Nobody, shoving the soiled linen to the end of the bed with his feet.  When he turned his head to look at his lover, Nobody leaned forward and kissed him.

            “That was incredible,” Nobody whispered in a voice filled with awe.

            “For me too,” Leo said.  “I love you, John.”

            “I love you, Leonardo.  Everything you are, everything you stand for.  I truly believe that you’re my soul mate,” Nobody told him.

            “And I also believe that to be true,” Leo acknowledged.  After a moment of silence, Leo said, “You’re going to be sore in the morning.”

            Nobody laughed.  “I figured as much.  I haven’t taken a sick day in a long while; I think I deserve at least one.  You know, I stocked my refrigerator today on the off chance I might have company.  You could call in sick too.”

            “I’ve never done that before,” Leo said.  “It would be something new for me.”

            “I tried something new tonight and I’ve never been happier about it,” Nobody said.  “I think you should give it a try.”

            “All right, I will,” Leo agreed.  “Now that you know what to do as a bottom, you should take some time to learn the other role as well.”

            “I find that idea to be most agreeable,” Nobody said, smiling widely before pulling Leo into a deeply satisfying kiss.


	91. JF91 The Liberators

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 6,345  
> Rated: R adult concepts and situations, yaoi, violence/gore, language  
> Summary: Raph's quiet evening is interrupted by a phone call from Tsunami, who has a suggestion on how Raph can better use his time.

            “Raphael,” Master Splinter said as he entered the kitchen, “you are preparing dinner this evening?”

            Raph glanced over his shoulder as he stirred the contents of a steaming pot.

            “I suppose if you call mac and cheese dinner, that’s what I’m doing, sensei,” Raph said with a smile.

            “Where are your brothers?”  Master Splinter pulled a chair back from the table and sat down, nose twitching as he smelled butter and garlic emanating from the oven.

            “Don took off with Raptarr this afternoon, but ya’ already knew that,” Raph answered, opening the oven to extract the garlic toast.  “Mikey called and said he’s gonna spend the night at the JF building with Nano and Ana.”

            Glancing at Master Splinter to make sure he wasn’t supplying too much information, he saw the smile on his Father’s face.  Raph should have known Master Splinter would be enjoying the soap opera aspect of their current lives.

            “Leo got a call from Nobody a little while ago and took off ta meet him someplace,” Raph finished.

            Setting a plate covered in pasta and garlic toast in front of his Father, Raph quickly fetched a bottle of water from the refrigerator and placed it on the table too.  As an afterthought, he grabbed a napkin and set it down beneath Master Splinter’s utensils.

            Master Splinter waited until Raphael had joined him at the table before forking a bite of food into his mouth.

            “This is quite good, Raphael,” Master Splinter said.  “It is not often that you and I can enjoy a meal together.”

            “Yeah,” Raph looked up from his plate, his face beaming.  “Usually everyone’s grabbing food and all trying ta talk at once.  I kinda like the quiet.”

            “I sense a new serenity in you,” Master Splinter said, opening his bottle.  Pausing with it partway to his mouth, he added, “You have found a part of yourself that has been eluding you.”

            “Guess I never really thought of it that way,” Raph admitted, and then flushed slightly.  “Maybe I shouldn’t have needed anyone except my family ta make me understand I got something ta offer the world.  Turns out I did.”

            Master Splinter reached across the table to pat the back of Raph’s hand and then returned to his meal.  “It is understandable that you might believe that as family we would feel obligated to assure you of your worth.  We have always spoken the truth in that regard, my son.  That you have found someone to help you see it is a very good thing.”

            “He kinda talks a lot, but overall Tsu is all right,” Raph said with a grin.  “He don’t scare, he can hold his own in a fight, and I ain’t gotta wait on him or slow down so he don’t get lost.”

            “Tsunami also seems to share your views with regards to the proper method of witness interrogation,” Master Splinter said dryly.

            Raph cleared his throat, his eyes suddenly busy examining the food on his plate.  After a second he glanced up and saw the touch of a smile on his Father’s lips.

            “Geez Master Splinter,” he said sheepishly.

            His Father chuckled.  “If I can learn to turn a blind eye to the methods Casey Jones insists upon calling ‘gentle persuasion’, I can learn to do the same with those employed by Tsunami.  Just do not get carried away my son.”

            “No Father,” Raph said.

            They finished their meal with lighthearted discussion.  Master Splinter felt a weight lift from his shoulders as he conversed with his most volatile son.  He had never sensed such a balance in Raphael as he did now and realized how desperately his child had needed to feel accepted by someone outside of their small family unit.  Not simply accepted; loved.

            Raph cleared the dishes from the table and washed up the few that he’d used to prepare their meal.  Afterwards he joined Master Splinter in the television room, sprawling comfortably on the couch as his Father settled back in his favorite chair to watch a new mini-series.

            It was filled with the type of drama, angst, and love triangles that Master Splinter enjoyed and it didn’t take long for Raph to grow sleepy.

            The ringing of his shell cell pulled Raphael from his partially comatose state.  With a start, he jumped up from the couch and moved out of his Father’s hearing so as not to disturb him.

            The incoming call was from an unknown number and Raph answered it cautiously.  “’Lo?”

            _“I trust that you’ve had plenty of rest ninja,”_ Tsunami said smoothly _.  “I’ve run across a situation that might interest you.  If you haven’t the strength, I’ll understand.”_

            “Bite me, Tsu,” Raph growled into the phone.

            Tsunami chuckled.  _“That wasn’t exactly the type of situation I was attempting to lure you out with, but I’m willing to accommodate you.”_

            “Is there a point ta this phone call and if so, were ya’ ever planning ta get around ta it?” Raph asked belligerently.

            _“Testy,”_ Tsunami replied mockingly.  _“I suppose if you haven’t got enough energy I will simply have to deal with this myself.”_

            “The day ya’ got more energy than me will be the day I’m dead,” Raph told him.  “Where do ya’ wanna meet?”

            _“Since you are fond of rooftops, I’ll be waiting for you atop the Brill Import and Export office building at Richmond Hill and Golf View in an hour,”_ Tsunami said.

            “Staten Island?” Raph asked.  “What the fuck is going down on Staten Island?”

            _“Actually, our business is at the marine terminal,”_ Tsunami answered.  _“Can you make it?”_

            “I’ll have ta take my bike but I’ll be there,” Raph growled at him.

            _“Wonderful,”_ Tsunami said cheerfully.  _“Make sure to bring your charming personality with you.”_

            “Get bent,” Raph snapped and then hung up before Tsunami could form a witty retort.

            Smiling to himself, Raph walked back to where Master Splinter was sitting and waited for a commercial to interrupt the program before telling his Father, “I gotta go out and meet Tsu.  He says he’s got some kinda situation he needs my help with.”

            “Thank you for letting me know that you are leaving, Raphael.  Please use caution and stay safe,” Master Splinter said.

            Raph felt a pang of guilt as he entered the elevator to go up to the garage.  They had all been leaving Master Splinter alone far too often lately and he sensed that his Father had been enjoying their time together this evening.  He made a mental note to arrange for them all to do something as a family very soon.

            The brisk open air, the strong hum of the bike between his knees, and the anticipation of an adventure lifted Raph’s spirits immeasurably.  He had to admit to himself that the thought of being with Tsunami again added a lot to the thrill he was feeling.

            Raph hadn’t ever considered the idea of ‘dating’ as anything he’d ever have the chance to do.  It was a unique feeling, made stronger by the fact that Tsunami’s personality was a perfect match for his own. 

            The blue mutant understood Raph as well as his own brothers did; sometimes it seemed he understood more.  Raph felt as though he could say anything and absolutely be himself without worrying that Tsunami’s feelings would be hurt.

            Parking his bike amongst the shadows of a group of dumpsters a block from his destination, Raph took to the rooftops, arriving on the designated building at the allotted time.  From habit he remained out of sight; not knowing what dangers Tsunami had called him to assist with, Raph was taking no chances.

            “You are always so prompt whenever I call for you,” Tsunami said, appearing from out of the shadows.

            Raph walked towards Tsunami, working to hide the excitement that his lover’s nearness caused him.

            “Okay, why am I here?” Raph asked.  “This better not be ‘cause ya’ missed me and felt like ya’ needed a good dicking.”

            “If I live ta be a hundred I could have gone without ever hearing that,” Casey said as he stepped from around the back of a large roof vent.

            “I’ll remind ya’ of that next time I see ya’ squeeze April’s ass and then have ta listen ta her call ya’ ‘tiger’,” Raph retorted.

            “I invited Jones to this party because I believe we’re going to require his muscles,” Tsunami said by way of explanation.  “Since the two of you are used to working together it appeared to be a wise choice.”

            “From the sound of that, it seems this trip might not have been a waste of gas after all,” Raph said.  “Tell me ya’ dug up some trouble down by the docks.”

            “I dug up some trouble down by the docks,” Tsunami repeated with a grin.  Then the grin faded as he said, “You know that freighters often take passengers, correct?  Sometimes people choose to book a passenger berth on a freighter for the adventure, sometimes because they are attempting to evade the law, and most often because it is a much less expensive way to travel.”

            “Ya’ gonna get ta the point sometime today?” Raph asked.  “If I wanted the National Geographic version I’d have Don explain it ta me.”

            “Your rash approach often has merit,” Tsunami said lightly, “however it is best at times to understand exactly what you will be walking into.”

            “Then explain it faster,” Raph said.  “I realize ya’ like the sound of your own voice, but the sun is gonna come up before ya’ get ta the meat of the situation.”

            “Do ya’ girls think ya’ could save the foreplay until after we’re done doin’ whatever we came out here for?” Casey asked.

            “My apologies, Jones,” Tsunami said with a grin.  “Force of habit.  To continue, a fair number of people immigrate to this country via these freighters.  It is the only way they can afford to make the trip.  They have their documentation with them when they arrive and it is merely a formality to pass through immigration and customs enforcement in order to receive their green card.”

            Raph was frowning, but all he said was, “Okay.”

            “An informant of mine who works at this particular marine terminal has told me that a group of men have been hassling passengers after they disembark.  They want to be paid before they will allow the immigration official to supply the travelers with their permanent resident cards,” Tsunami explained.

            “A shake down,” Raph growled.

            “With a touch of corruption on the side,” Tsunami said.  “The ICE employee in question makes a certain percentage of the take.  The people who cannot pay immediately are given the opportunity to call a friend or relative to request delivery of the money.  Those without that safety net become examples and are beaten rather severely.  They are then told to supply the payment within a week, plus interest, or they will receive another beating.”

            “Don’t sound like any kind of organized group,” Casey said.  “Sounds more like a bunch of thugs ta me.”

            “So we’re here ta bust ‘em up?” Raph asked.

            “That of course is a side benefit,” Tsunami answered slyly.  “Our primary goal is to encourage the ICE agent to turn himself in and to do the right thing by testifying about the whole rotten set-up.  Since it would make a rather neat package to leave the actual gang members tied up and waiting for law enforcement officials we will indeed have to ‘bust ‘em up’.”

            “Ya’ could have said that with a lot less words,” Raph told him.  “But since I like the idea of bashing some heads, I’ll forgive ya’.”

            “So where is all this stuff happening anyway?” Casey asked.

            “The freighter is due to dock in twenty minutes,” Tsunami said.  “The passengers offload and go directly to the primary warehouse facility where the immigration office is.  That is where the action takes place.”

            “Correction Tsu, that’s where the action is _gonna_ take place.  I’m tired of talking, let’s go,” Raph said, leading the way at a fast clip.

            Several minutes later the threesome was standing atop a low building across the street from the entrance to the marina.  They watched as a truck rolled through the security gate after both the driver and passenger flashed badges in front of a key card reader.  This was all done under the watchful eye of an armed security guard.

            “Looks like ya’ gotta have a special pass ta attend this party,” Casey muttered.  “Ya’ got any idea of how we’re getting in?  That fence is at least ten feet tall and I betcha it’s electrified.”

            Tsunami wore a smug look as he said, “This is a marina, my friend.  We’ll ride over the fence and the security cameras on a water slide.”

            Raph watched another truck drive toward the gate and the muscles on his legs tensed.

            “Ya’ go ahead and play with your water,” Raph said.  “My ride just showed up.”

            Leaping from the roof, Raph darted into the street and slid effortlessly underneath the truck, disappearing from sight.  When the truck passed through the gate, there was no sign of the red banded Turtle.

            “Impetuous,” Tsunami murmured, a slight smile etching his face.

            Casey snorted.  “Hot head.”

            When the two of them stepped off of Tsunami’s water sled onto the roof of the warehouse, they both looked around for Raph but didn’t see him.

            “Maybe he ain’t made it here yet,” Casey whispered.

            A sound from the edge of the roof startled Casey and Tsunami and they both turned swiftly, searching for the source.

            “Psst,” Raph signaled again.  “I’m over here.”

            Crouching to avoid being seen, the pair ran to where Raph was waiting.  Clinging to the side of the building just above a window, the ninja glanced back over his shoulder to check for security patrols as Casey and Tsunami kneeled nearby.

            “Keep your voices down,” Raph instructed.  “The office just under me is full of people and one of them is wearing a jacket with the word ‘ICE’ in big letters on the back of it.  The others are all just sitting around looking bored.”

            “Those are most likely the members of the gang we are about to dispel,” Tsunami said.

            “I ain’t rushing into an immigration office ta bust heads on a ‘most likely’,” Casey said.  “That’s the kinda thing that gets ya’ sent ta a federal prison.”

            “So what do ya’ suggest?  I ain’t hanging out here all night,” Raph said in a low growl.

            Hearing voices from below, Tsunami raised a finger to his lips and indicated that the other two should stay where they were.  Darting across the rooftop quickly, Tsunami glanced down and spotted four people being escorted into the building, all of them carrying some form of luggage.

            When he rejoined Raph and Casey, he told them, “We’re about to get an answer to our question; the passengers are here.”

            With a nod, Raph lowered himself to the window once more.  Using the glass cutter that he carried in his belt, he made a hole large enough for his hand to pass through and flicked open the lock.  When the babble of excited voices began to bounce around the office, Raph swung the window outwards, opening it so that the conversations inside became clear.

            A second later Tsunami was squatting on a water slide on his left while Casey nervously balanced on one to his right.           

            “Chill Case,” Raph hissed at him.  “Those things of Tsu’s are perfectly safe.”

            “Ya’ know I prefer ta have somethin’ solid under my feet,” Casey hissed back.

            “Wait a couple of minutes and maybe ya’ can stomp on those guys,” Raph said, jerking his thumb towards the men in the office.  “That sound solid enough for ya’?”

            “Shh.”  Tsunami shushed them as he leaned forward to hear the conversation from inside the room.

            “But I do not understand,” a man was saying in heavily accented English.  “We were told that our resident cards would be waiting and that nothing further was required.”

            His arm circled the waist of the matronly looking woman standing next to him and he tugged her closer as a deep frown furrowed his brow.

            The immigration agent said nothing; his eyes were fixed on the tall thin man who had been waiting with him earlier.

            “Sorry pal, but while you were at sea the government levied a new tax,” the thin man said as he studied his fingernails.  “Call it a handling charge.  You pay it now or you don’t get your card.”

            “That is too much money,” the wife said in a quivering voice.

            “You got relatives here, give ‘em a call.  Hell, you can use our phone.   They bring the money; you get to go to your new home.  If you don’t pay the tax then you gotta leave something else behind,” the thin man said.

            One of his colleagues laughed and cracked his knuckles.  “Yeah, like a few teeth.”

            A third man was eyeing the teenaged girl who accompanied the middle aged couple.  His wide smile made her back towards her parents.

            “This your lovely daughter?” the thug asked in a raspy voice.  “Bet we could work out some kinda trade.”

            Raph started to move, his low growl enough warning so that Tsunami had time to reach over and grasp his shoulder.

            “Not yet,” Tsunami whispered.  “We have to wait for a monetary exchange to take place.”

            Raph glared at him.  “I ain’t gonna stand here and watch that girl get raped.”

            “Neither will I,” Tsunami said.  “Just hold on another minute so that the ICE agent can incriminate himself on film.”

            “What the shell are ya’ talking about?” Raph whispered harshly.

            Tsunami pointed towards the next set of windows.  Balanced on a stream of water was one of the security cameras that had previously been attached to the side of the building.  The water was holding it steady as it recorded everything that happened inside the office.

            Raph grinned at Tsunami and started to say something, but a voice from inside the room cut him off.

            “Leave me alone!” the young girl shouted, slapping at the thug’s hand when he began to play with her hair.

            As she pressed close to her parents, the thug looked over at the thin man as though awaiting a signal.

            The fourth passenger from the freighter was on his knees, frantically digging through his possessions as three other thugs stood over him.

            “I will pay,” he called loudly, rising to his feet as he clutched a thick envelope to his chest.

            The thin man looked over at the immigration agent, who sat forward and waved the passenger over to his desk.  When the agent held out his hand, the man set the envelope into it and waited as the agent opened it and thumbed through the contents.

            Glancing up, the agent smiled at the thin man and then unlocked one of the drawers in the cabinet sitting next to him.  From inside he brought out four cards and lined them up on the table.

            “He paid for all four of them,” the agent announced in a satisfied tone of voice.

            “That’s the kind of negotiations I like,” the thin man said.  “Sorry Nate, no fun for you tonight.”

            The one named Nate was still staring at the young girl and his lips twitched nastily.

            “I think we should make ‘em pay for stalling us along,” Nate said.

            “You should learn to curb your appetites,” the thin man murmured.  “Fifteen minutes in the room down the hall enough of a penalty for you?”

            Nate’s tongue flicked out and back.  “I’ll make it do.”

            Grabbing the girl’s arm, Nate began to drag her towards the door as she screamed and dug her heels into the carpet.  Her parents and the other passenger tried to go to her aid, but were themselves pinned down by the remainder of the gang who outnumbered them almost four to one.

            Raph’s red mask was no more than a blur as he crashed head first through the glass window; sending shards flying in all directions.  Sais out, he made straight for Nate and the girl, completely ignoring everyone else in the room.

            He was so fast that none of the other gang members had time to do more than stare.  When they finally began to react to the presence of a hostile intruder in the room it was too late, because two more swept over them.

            Nate gave the girl a hard shove towards Raph when he saw the giant green figure bearing down on him.  Off balance, she fell into Raph’s arms, but rather than throwing him off his stride, he spun with her momentum.  Depositing her on the carpet in one swift fluid movement, Raph swept back around, his heavy fist making straight for Nate’s face.

            Hands up, Nate tried to block the blow but the force of it shoved the man’s own knuckles into his face, breaking his nose on impact.  Crying out from the pain, he swung blindly towards his adversary, connecting with nothing more than air.

            As blood gushed from his nose, Nate looked around him in a panic and then felt a tap on his shoulder.  Twisting around, Nate found Raph looming over him, a wicked smile curving his lips back from his teeth.

            “I hate perverts,” Raph growled as he swung a hand down and connected with Nate’s crotch.

            Screaming shrilly, Nate grabbed for the thick arm just as Raph lifted him into the air by his privates.  Eyes rolling back, Nate continued to scream, this time in a higher pitch.

            “I ought ta yank ‘em off,” Raph said, “but I’m kinda busy right now.”

            Releasing his hold, Raph dropped Nate to the ground.  On his knees, Nate clutched his groin, his high pitched shriek bouncing off of the walls.  Shaking his head in disgust, Raph brought his knuckles down against the man’s temple and knocked him out cold.

            Looking up, Raph saw that the girl had crawled over to her family, who were huddled together in a corner of the room.  The ICE agent was tied to his chair with his own jacket and Casey was using his bat in the way he enjoyed most.

            When Raph spotted Tsunami, he was surprised to see that the blue mutant was not using water on his foes.  In fact, he was plowing through a group of men with his fists and feet, relying on a combination of street fighting and jujutsu.

            Raph stopped for a minute to admire his lover.  He knew from first-hand experience that Tsunami was exceptionally strong but hadn’t realized how much of a turn on that actually was.

            He was recalled to himself when one of the thugs dove at him, knife in hand.  Catching the blade between the wings of his sai, Raph twisted it to the side, moving so quickly that he snapped the man’s wrist.  His attacker’s scream was cut short by Raph’s fist plowing into the middle of his face.  A couple of teeth hit the floor before the man did.

            “Raph!” Casey yelled.

            When Raph spun around, Casey snapped his head sideways towards the windows, both hands occupied as he pounded a chair out of the hands of one of the thugs.  Looking in the direction his friend had indicated, Raph saw that the thin man was trying to crawl out of the office.

            Bunching his leg muscles, Raph leaped high into the air, flipping once so that he landed on his hands only to push off immediately.  In under a second he had reached the man, grasping him by the back of his jacket and yanking him bodily back into the office.

            By the time the thin man’s ass hit the floor, both Tsunami and Casey had finished with the rest of the gang.  Raph saw that the young girl’s father held one of Casey golf clubs in his hand, smiling and waving it as he caught Raph’s eye.  At his feet lay two members of the gang, sound asleep with sizeable lumps on their skull.

            With a chuckle, Raph said, “Hey Case, why don’t ya’ grab those ID cards off the desk there along with that envelope and get these folks on their way?”

            “Sure thing pal,” Casey said, swinging his bat back into his bag.

            Picking up the cards and money, Casey approached the little family and traded those things for his golf club.  The group then gathered their belongings and Casey ushered them out of the office.

            Sitting on the ground at Raph and Tsunami’s feet, the thin man looked beaten, deflated, and more than a little scared.

             Sais in his belt, Raph clenched his fists into tight knots and said, “Gods, I would love ta make an example out of this guy.”

            “Ah, Raphael, that would be highly inappropriate of you,” Tsunami said with a grin.  Swinging a hard uppercut into the man’s jaw, Tsunami watched him hit the ground before saying, “However, it is perfectly acceptable for me.”

            “You’re an asshole,” Raph said good-naturedly.

            “Well, that is certainly a part of me you know with great intimacy,” Tsunami shot back.

            “How come ya’ didn’t use your fancy water games on these guys?” Raph asked curiously.

            “I didn’t want to soak the room,” Tsunami answered simply.  “There is evidence in here that the authorities will need as corroboration of our friends testimony.”

            He pointed at the ICE agent, who was doing his best imitation of a statue in the hopes that they wouldn’t pay any attention to him.  As soon as his saw the two mutant creatures looking him over, he stuttered into speech.

            “I’m . . .  I’m an official of the United St . . .  States g . . . government.  Th . . . this is an outrage!  L . . . let me g . . . go!” he exclaimed.

            “We were taping your entire transaction with these men, my friend,” Tsunami told him.  “It was rather amazing for us to watch how you do your job.  I believe a federal penitentiary is in your future.”

            Raph was busily tying the gang members with power cords that he’d yanked out of the walls.  Without looking up, he said, “Not ta mention how much fun you’re gonna have when the rest of the prison population finds out how ya’ got off on watching a kiddy rapist.”

            Eyes wide with panic, the ICE agent struggled in his chair, breathing heavily as Tsunami came towards him.  Perching on the edge of the desk, the blue mutant swung one foot in the air and patiently waited for the man to stop wiggling.  Tsunami watched Raph move around the room, lips pursed in approval at how swiftly the Turtle completed his task, wasting no motion in the process.

            “What do you want?” the agent finally asked.

            “We want you to report this entire venture to the police,” Tsunami said.  “I would have thought that was self-evident.  What, did you think we wanted to kill you?  If I had wanted to do that, I wouldn’t have spent this much time in conversation with you.”

            “Ya’ better decide if you’re gonna play along before I finish tying these guys up,” Raph growled lowly.  “Tsunami here don’t wanna kill ya’, but I’m sure as shit still thinking about it.”

            “Let me lay out your options,” Tsunami said.  “You turn yourself in and offer to testify against these men in exchange for a lighter sentence and of course, request to be sent for incarceration to an unknown destination.  I will give the video tape to your attorney and he can tell the authorities that you made the tape as proof of your wish to set things right.

            “You refuse and I will await the authorities, turning the tape over to them myself.  Then I will tell them all that I observed, including your willing part it extortion, torture, and rape.  As a member of the Justice Force, my word is above reproach.  Those are the choices.”

            Raph came over to stand next to the man, glaring fiercely at him.  “Ya’ better choose wisely,” he warned, “’cause part of the second option is I beat the crap out of ya’ and Tsunami here tells the police that your friends did it.”

            The man’s eyes darted from Tsunami to Raphael and back again.  Clearing his throat, he said, “I’ll testify to everything, okay?  Untie me so I can call the police.”

            Tsunami reached for the phone that sat on the end of the desk and dialed a number, placing the receiver against the man’s head.

            “I didn’t give you an option of making a run for it,” Tsunami said.  “Talk without your hands.”

            As the man relayed his message to the police, Tsunami looked up at Raph, a cockeyed grin lifting his mouth.  Raph stared back, his gold eyes gleaming with an intent that excited the blue mutant enough so that he had to adjust the way he was seated.

            When the short conversation was over, Tsunami replaced the receiver with a satisfied sigh.

            Raph wasn’t quite finished, however.

            “Ya’ gotta pardon me, Tsu, but when I think about what this guy probably watched these assholes do ta the girls that passed through his office, it really pisses me off,” Raph said in a low tone.

            “Raphael . . . .” Tsunami began, standing up slowly.

            Raph’s hand curled into a solid fist and he sent a hard, muscle driven punch directly into the agent’s gut.  A groan and loud exhalation of air was all the agent managed as he slumped over into unconsciousness.

            Lifting an eyebrow, Tsunami asked, “Is it out of your system now?”

            “It’ll have ta do,” Raph answered, coming out from behind the desk.  “Ya’ gotta retrieve that tape ya’ made before we can get the shell out of here?”

            “I’ll do that now,” Tsunami said, turning towards the window.

            Seeing an opportunity, Raph reached out and grabbed one of Tsunami’s butt cheeks, squeezing hard enough to relay an unspoken promise.

            “Geez, it figures I’d walk back in just in time ta see the two of ya’ playing grab ass,” Casey said from his spot in the doorway.

            “Blow me,” Raph retorted with a grin.

            “Looks like ya’ already got somebody ta do that for ya’,” Casey said as he watched Tsunami disappear through the window.  “Since ya’ ain’t bothered ta tell me officially, I’ll just ask; are Tsunami and ya’ hookin’ up?”

            Raph rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.  “Sorry ‘bout that, Case.  Yeah, me and Tsu sorta got an understanding.”

            Casey moved closer to his friend and asked in a low voice, “What about your bro’s?”

            “We’re all still together,” Raph said, trying to find words to explain their new situation.  “All four of us have got someone else too.  Works out okay ‘cause the people we’re with don’t have a problem with sharing.”

            Casey snorted.  “I always knew I was gonna experience some unconventional stuff while hanging around ya’ guys, but this takes the cake.  Wait ‘til I tell April, she’ll eat this shit up.  It’ll make up for me coming home with soaking wet shoes.”  Pausing for a moment, a strange look came over his face as he asked, “Does Leo have some kinda ‘arrangement’ too?  Maybe with Nobody?”

            “Yeah.”  Raph’s lips twitched with amusement.  “Ya’ guessed that, huh?”

            Casey scratched his chin as he said, “I might’ve noticed some stuff that made me wonder.”

            Raph didn’t have time to pursue it because Tsunami came back just then.  “This would probably be an excellent time for us to depart these premises.”

            The sound of sirens reached them and the three liberators left the office through the same window they had entered by.  This time all three of them rode on one of Tsunami’s water slides, Raph grinning as he watched Casey try to stay balanced.

            They avoided being seen as they reached the spot where Casey had parked his bike.  Stretching his arms overhead, Casey yawned loudly and announced, “I’m going home ta April.  It’s gonna take me an hour ta tell her everything but she won’t let me go ta sleep until I do.”  With a sly smile he added, “It’s a guarantee that I’m gonna get lucky when I tell her about ya’ and your bro’s pal.  April’s kinda kinky sometimes.”

            “Aw geez Casey, I don’t need ta hear that,” Raph groaned, rubbing his hand across his forehead.

            “Yeah?  Well next time we go out on one of these raids don’t let me see the two of ya’ feeling each other up,” Casey returned as he climbed onto his ride.  “Later guys.”

            Raph laughed as he watched Casey ride off and then feeling eyes on him, turned to see Tsunami staring in his direction.

            “What?” Raph asked, slightly belligerent.  The look on Tsunami’s face was quickly heating Raph’s body and he didn’t want the blue mutant to know that.

            The effort to cover his feelings was pointless; Tsunami knew Raph too well.  “So much adrenaline to deal with,” Tsunami observed.  “There must be some way to burn it all off.”

            “I could just pound on ya’,” Raph offered.

            “Or I you,” Tsunami shot back.  “Although I don’t think we’re using the word ‘pound’ in the same context.”

            “Don’t make any bets on that,” Raph told him.

            Raph suddenly had an odd thought; for so many nights in the past he had fought side by side with Casey; beating thugs, gang members, and even the occasional Foot ninja.  At the end of each evening, Casey had left to be with someone he loved, someone who would be waiting anxiously for his safe return.

            Heading back to the lair after those nights out, Raph never knew if he’d walk into utter silence, or the occasional blue banded reception committee.  He understood that his family loved him and that Leo’s lectures were because he worried, but the idea of being greeted with a warm hug and hot lips was enticing.  Raph had always envied Casey’s good fortune.

            Now he had someone who was strictly his own; not just a person to come home to, but someone with an unique perspective into Raph’s world.  He rather liked that.

            Tsunami seemed to sense some of his thoughts, because he said, “It is good to see that we can continue to share adventures.”

            Raph nodded; a knowing smirk firmly in place.  “Yeah, ya’ figure out where we’re going now?”

            “Didn’t you say something about your motorcycle?” Tsunami asked; a twinkle in his blue eyes.  “You’ve ridden with me; it might be another adventure to ride with you.”

            “Oh, I can guarantee that,” Raph said, breaking into a jog to lead them back to where his bike was parked.

            As Raph rolled his motorcycle out from behind the dumpsters, Tsunami’s breath hitched.  The bike seemed to match its owner; robust and eye catching, gleaming with hidden power, as tempestuous in appearance as Raphael was in life.

            Raph had just picked up his helmet when Tsunami crashed into him, groping for a handhold on the Turtle’s shell as his mouth connected feverishly with his lovers.  Dropping the helmet, Raph grabbed the back of Tsunami’s head with one hand and the blue mutant’s buttocks with the other.

            Pulling Tsunami up against his body, Raph slid his tongue alongside his lovers as their pelvis’ ground together.  Breathing hard, their lips finally separated, but they continued to clutch at one another desperately.

            “Ya’ wanted a ride on my bike,” Raph husked against Tsunami’s face.  “You’re about ta get one.”

            “It seems you always choose a place where you have the advantage,” Tsunami told him breathlessly.

            Raph laughed, tightening his grip on Tsunami’s body.  “I’m giving ya’ a fair chance, Tsu.  There’s water here.”

            Tsunami glanced around at the small puddles that dotted the rough alley where they were standing.

            “Not enough,” Tsunami protested lightly.

            “Make do,” Raph told him with a satisfied grin and set to biting at Tsunami’s neck.

            Chest heaving, all Tsunami could manage to say was, “We’re never going to make it to a bed.”

            Before they could go further, Raph’s shell cell started to buzz; vibrating his belt with such energy he couldn’t ignore it.  Groaning, he broke his hold on Tsunami and grabbed the phone, mouth opening to tear someone’s ass verbally as he flicked it open.

            _“I told you two to stand still,”_ a gruff voice was saying, _“move again and this Turtle is going to be wearing two bullet holes in his head.”_

            _“Totally not my idea of a great fashion statement dude,”_ Mikey said.  That was followed by _“Ouch!”_

            _“Shut up and start moving,”_ the other voice ordered harshly.

            Raphael and Tsunami looked at each other, eyes wide.  Through clenched teeth, Raph hissed, “That’s Ruffington.  He’s got Mikey.”

            “They are at the Justice Force building,” Tsunami said.  “Get me to a pier; I’ve got to be near water.”

            Shoving the phone into his belt, Raph scooped up the helmet and handed it to Tsunami.  Swinging onto the seat, Raph started the engine and felt Tsunami climb on behind him.

            When Tsunami’s hands touched his hips, Raph said, “Hang on tight Tsu; we’re about ta fly.”

            They very nearly did.  The motorcycle shot out of the mouth of the alley with such speed Tsunami’s body was jerked backwards, his grip on Raph the only thing keeping him seated.  He said nothing as he clung to his lover, watching as the scenery around them was reduced to flashes of black and gray by the momentum of the bike.

            Tsunami had no idea how Ruffington had gotten to Mikey, nor what Ruffington planned to do with him.  The only thing that the blue mutant did know was that he was riding behind one very determined and pissed off brother.

            Ruffington was about to find out what a seriously bad idea it was to mess with one of the Turtles.


	92. JF92 Bad Moon Rising

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 3,128  
> Rated: R  
> Summary: As Mikey, Nano, and Ana learn more about each other, someone lurks on the sidelines waiting to destroy their happiness.

            Mikey stretched lazily and even though his eyes were still closed, his sleep befuddled brain alerted him to the fact that someone lay next to him.  With a slight smile he took a moment to enjoy the feeling of warmth and softness pressing against his side before opening his eyes.

            Ananda’s head was propped on his bicep, one of her arms stretched over his plastron.  Turning his head slowly, Mikey stared down at Ana’s face.  Relaxed in sleep, her smooth complexion and soft, full lips held his awe filled gaze.

            All he could think in that moment was that this beautiful woman loved him.  This strong, intelligent, gifted woman loved _him_ ; a mutated turtle.

            “She is most beautiful,” a voice from his opposite side said, echoing his thoughts.

            Mikey rolled his head so that he could look at Nano.  His other lover was likewise curled against him, but he did not sleep.  Nanobots did not require sleep.  Mikey was used to that; he knew that Nano spent the time that Mikey slept in quiet contemplation, observing the Turtle and cataloging his every nuance, every movement.

            At first that had freaked Mikey out just a little; that knowledge that someone was watching him sleep.  After a while it seemed completely normal and even comforting.  Mikey had spent so many years worrying that something catastrophic would happen when he closed his eyes that his dreams often turned to nightmares.

            His brothers offered solace after the fact, but knowing that Nano was standing watch gave him the peace of mind to avoid the nightmares in the first place.  Waking to something other than a pounding heartbeat and jagged, painful breaths was a simple joy, but one that Mikey fully appreciated.

            “Yeah, she is,” Mikey whispered, so as not to wake Ana.  “What time is it?”

            “Nine-thirty-two,” Nano answered with his usual precision.  “You and Ana have been asleep for four hours, twelve minutes, and sixteen . . . .”

            “Nano,” Mikey interrupted.  “Just say ‘around four hours’, okay dude?”

            “It is not entirely accurate,” Nano said.

            “This is what we call a trivial thing,” Mikey told him.  “Ten or fifteen minutes more or less don’t really make a difference.”

            “It would if someone had set a timed explosive,” Nano said.

            Mikey chuckled softly.  “Under those kinds of circumstances, you’re allowed to be precise.  So like, those four hours ago, did we eat?”

            “No Mikey, neither you or Ana have eaten since _around_ one o’clock,” Nano said with a smile.  “Four hours ago we were making love once more and my nanobots fed on your heat, so in essence, I am the only one who has taken any sustenance.”

            “That explains why my stomach is filing a minor protest,” Mikey muttered.

            Ana stirred and Mikey turned back to look at her just as her long eyelashes fluttered and opened.

            “Is someone talking about food?” Ana asked.  “I’m having a sudden craving for scrambled eggs and spaghetti.”

            “Mixed together?” Mikey asked her with a grin.

            “Mmhmm,” she murmured.  “Is that weird?”

            “I knew there was a reason I loved you,” Mikey said teasingly.  “A built in nightlight and a gourmet palate.”

            Ananda slid her hand down to Mikey’s side and pinched his skin, laughing at how fast his hand snapped over to grab hers.

            Snuggling against him, she said, “Do you know how many times I’ve daydreamed about lying in bed with the two of you for an entire weekend, doing nothing more than making love and stopping periodically to eat?”

            “Daydreams are a reverie indulged in while awake,” Nano clarified.  “A reverie is a state of dreamy meditation or fanciful musings.  I believe I have had them as well.”

            “Yeah, apparently Ana has erotic ones,” Mikey said.  “She should probably go into more detail so you’ll get a better grasp of what daydreams are.”

            “Hey,” Ana protested, “I said the daydream included food, didn’t I?”

            “So you have erotic kinky daydreams attached to a food fetish,” Mikey said with a grin.

            “Is this considered good-natured teasing?” Nano asked.  “I am curious as to whether a discussion of this nature might be interpreted as fore-play.”

            “Usually,” Mikey answered before dipping his head down to catch Ana’s mouth in a kiss.

            When he released her so that she could take a breath, Ananda said, “If we keep going like this, we’re never going to eat.”

            Mikey’s stomach chose that moment to rumble and Ana giggled.

            “I believe that Michelangelo’s stomach agrees with you,” Nano said.

            Ananda managed to wriggle out of Mikey’s grasp so that she could roll off of the bed.  Nano stretched across Mikey’s plastron as the two of them watched Ana pull on a sweater and a pair of jeans.

            Glancing up, Ana saw twin pairs of hungry eyes raking over her and blushed.  The relationship with her two lovers was still new enough to make her feel shy.

            “I’m too hungry to dress up,” she explained.

            Mikey jumped off the bed, grabbing his mask and belt up from where they had landed earlier that morning.  After tying them into place, he put his arms around Ana and said, “There, I won’t put on anything else either.  Besides, I like this look.”

            Lifting a hand to her bra-less breasts, Mikey squeezed gently.

            “It is very appealing,” Nano agreed.  “We will explore further once the two of you have eaten?”

            “We’re gonna explore a lot,” Mikey promised, his forehead touching Ana’s.

            Reaching out, Ana grabbed Nano’s hand and pulled him over to them.  The three of them hugged each other tightly and then Ana broke off to lead the way out of her room and into the kitchen.

            The lights flickered on as Ana passed the sensor, their glow bringing warmth to the large kitchen.  Like a well-coordinated team, each one of them began to gather things for their dinner; Mikey from the refrigerator, Ana from the cupboards, and Nano from the pantry.

            While they worked the three of them talked about anything and everything that came to mind.  Ana laughed until she had tears in her eyes as Mikey juggled four uncooked eggs while recounting the story of a prank he’d played on Donatello.  It had happened when they were quite young and Don was attempting to hatch an egg that unbeknownst to him had been hard boiled by Mikey.

            As they were standing near the stove, the soft clearing of a throat made all three turn.  Chrysalis stood in the doorway, an apologetic look on her face.

            “I didn’t think anyone would be in here,” Chrysalis said and turned to go.

            “Chrys!” Ana shouted happily.

            Handing her spatula to Mikey, Ana ran across the kitchen and caught the smaller woman in a hug.  Surprised at the exuberance of her friends greeting, Chrys returned the hug.

            “When did you get back?” Ana asked; leaning back but retaining her hold on Chrys’ shoulders.

            “This afternoon,” Chrys said almost shyly.  “I meant to stay gone longer, but I was afraid that with everything that had happened, you might need me.”

            “The things I have to tell you,” Ana said excitedly and then blushed.

            Chrys saw the color rise on her friend’s cheeks and glanced over at Mikey and Nano, who were seemingly ignoring the women.  Nano’s hand rested on Mikey’s hip as the Turtle scrambled eggs in a pan and Mikey seemed completely at ease with that fact.

            “Nano regained his memories,” Chrys said.

            If possible, Ana’s smile grew larger.  “Yes!  He remembers everything, isn’t it wonderful?  Mikey and his brothers have worked everything out between them and their father has no problem with them having lovers outside of the family.  They’ve all agreed to stay together even while sharing themselves with the Justice Force.”

            Chrysalis didn’t miss the fact that Ana was wearing the bare minimum of clothes and that her hair was disarranged.

            “Are you part of that ‘shared’ arrangement, Ana?” Chrys asked with the first hint of a smile.

            Ananda’s blush deepened.  “I’m in love,” she answered simply.

            “With Mikey?”  Chrys guessed.  When Ana nodded, Chrys asked, “And Nano?”

            It was a shot in the dark, but when she’d first stepped into the kitchen, Chrys couldn’t help but notice how the three of them had been standing so closely together.

            “Yes,” Ana said in a near whisper.

            This time it was Chrysalis who initiated the hug.  “I’m so happy for you,” Chrys whispered in Ana’s ear.  “There will be plenty of time to catch up later; you go back in there with your guys and enjoy your dinner.”

            “Stay and eat with us,” Ana offered.

            Chrys stepped back with a laugh.  “I actually only came in to get something to drink.  I’m tackling a project for SS and should get back to it.”

            As she collected a bottle of juice from the refrigerator, Nano asked, “You are sure you do not wish to partake of this meal?  I have been told that Michelangelo is a wonderful cook.”

            “No, but thank you,” Chrys said, eyes twinkling.  “Another time perhaps.  I’m very happy to see that you are back to normal, Nano.”

            “I am happy to be seen,” Nano replied in an almost jaunty manner.

            “Hey Chrys, I’ve never gotten a chance to thank you for finding Donny for us,” Mikey said, turning from the stove to catch her eyes.

            Now Chrys blushed.  “I’m afraid that was more manipulative than altruistic, Mikey.”

            “Doesn’t matter to my bro’s or me,” Mikey said.  “All we care about is that your finding him took a lot of stress off of us.”

            Chrys bit her lower lip as it started to tremble and then released it to offer him a small smile.  “You’re welcome,” she said in a soft voice before leaving the kitchen.

            “She gonna be okay?” Mikey asked as Ana rejoined he and Nano.

            “I think so,” Ana said.  “She’s resilient and no matter what happened, she knows she’s amongst friends.  Being . . . different can sometimes make you want something in your life that’s normal.  You can want it so badly that it drives you a little nuts.  I was that way about the loss of my mother.  If it weren’t for you and your brothers, I might have killed my father.  I can’t imagine how my life would have gone after that. I would never have been a part of this wonderful team and I would never have gotten to share love.”

            Mikey looked over at Nano, who wore a happy smile on his face.  Mikey wrapped his arms around Ana and took a moment to kiss her deeply.

            “I can sure understand different,” Mikey said when their lips parted, “and that struggle to want the same normal stuff everyone else has.  Being with you and Nano makes me feel like I’m getting to have that.”

            Nano melded against Mikey’s carapace, his arms circling the Turtle’s waist.  “Since my creation, I have wanted nothing more desperately than family,” he said.  “The Justice Force gave me friends; the two of you have given me my family.”

            Ana’s eyes were starting to blur and she blinked rapidly to contain the moisture from her happy tears.  With a laugh, she said, “This is turning mushy really fast and if we don’t eat soon I’m going to say to hell with the food and just jump you both.”

            “Shell, let’s eat then,” Mikey said with a grin.  “Afterwards you can tell us about those daydreams you’ve been having and jump us at the same time.”

            The meal may have been simple, but for Ananda it was the happiest one she’d ever shared.  Nano watched them, his hand stretching across the table periodically to caress Ana’s cheek or to stroke Mikey’s carapace.  Mikey talked; his conversation witty, enthusiastic, and intelligent.  Ana found herself wondering if perhaps Donatello wasn’t the only genius in their family.

            Nano tackled the clearing up after the meal with swift efficiency.  His nanobots moved in several directions at once and in only the space of a few minutes, everything was clean and put away.

            “Dude, you so need to come home with me,” Mikey said, laughing as he danced out into the hall.  “Before Master Splinter could finish saying ‘Michelangelo, have you finished your chores?’ you’d already be done with them.”

            Ana giggled as she pushed her chair in and then moved over to hook her arm through Nano’s.  “I’m sure Nano can find a way to make you pay him back for that little service.”

            Nano registered the now familiar teasing tone in Ana’s voice, recognizing that the words were indicators of a sexual innuendo.  Moving towards the door with Ana, he said, “Yes, rendered services do come with a price.”

            “Send me a bill and I’ll take it under . . . .” Mikey began.

            His words were cut off as something slammed into his temple hard enough to drop him to one knee, his vision swimming.  Before he could recover, the hard, cold steel of a gun barrel was jabbed into the back of his neck.

            “Stay down,” a familiar voice said, the tone dark and ugly.

            Mikey froze, only his eyes moving forwards as he saw Nano and Ananda’s feet when the pair walked out of the kitchen.

            “Mikey!” Ana shouted.

            “If you don’t stop right there, I’m going to blow a hole in his neck that you can put your fist through,” Ruffington told them.

            “Mr. Ruffington,” Nano said, “you are wanted by authorities.”

            “Yes I am,” Ruffington acknowledged.  “Thanks in no small part to you freaks.  Since you got me into this predicament, I decided you would be best suited to getting me out of it.”

            “Considering all of the people who are mad at you, the biggest favor we could do for you right now is tuck you into a nice, safe jail cell,” Mikey said as his head cleared.

            Ruffington’s short bark of laughter was contemptuous.  “You underestimate the reach of a certain heavily muscled Neanderthal,” he said.  “I wouldn’t last a day in prison.  My idea is a much better one; you freaks took my briefcase, you freaks are going to give the contents back to me.  And I do mean all of the contents; my passport, the money, and most importantly that thumb drive.”

            “Why would we do that?” Mikey asked, afraid he already knew the answer.

            The gun barrel dug into his neck.  “Because if they don’t come through you are going to be shark bait,” Ruffington explained coldly.

            “How did you get in here?” Ana asked.  “How could you possibly have gotten past our security?”

            “I wasn’t sure how I’d manage it once I arrived, but after exploring a little I found that someone had thrown a wad of clothes down near the entry from the boat dock.  The door caught on them and didn’t close properly.  I took that as a sign,” Ruffington said smugly.

            Mikey grimaced; his family was forever telling him not to toss things on the floor and this time it had come back to bite him.

            “The door did not seal so the alarms never set,” Nano said.

            “After that I merely followed the sound of voices,” Ruffington said.  “I rather hoped to catch up to that Nobody character.  I owe him for ruining my life, but I suppose you’ll have to do.  Stand up.”

            Ruffington moved back from Mikey a little as he issued the order, but the gun remained tight against Mikey’s neck.  Slowly rising to his feet, Mikey was careful to make no sudden movements.  He knew Ruffington was wound up tight and the slightest misstep would make the man pull the trigger.

            “Lace your fingers together and put them behind your head,” Ruffington ordered.

            “This is why the police could not find you,” Nano observed.  “You did not leave New York City.”

            “The police were expecting me to hijack a vehicle and make a run for it,” Ruffington sneered.  “That was their first mistake, believing that I would behave like some common street thug.  I knew that’s what they’d be on the lookout for, so I obliged them by stealing a car.  Several of them as a matter of fact.”

            “Why would you need more than one vehicle?” Nano asked.

            Despite the severity of the situation, Nano experienced curiosity at the man’s behavior.  He was still trying to understand humans.

            “So he could steal a boat,” Mikey answered.

            “You aren’t as dumb as you look,” Ruffington said, twisting the muzzle into Mikey’s skin.  “You and I are going to leave here on that boat.”

            With his free hand, Ruffington dug a disposable cell phone from his pocket and tossed it on the ground in front of Ana.

            “I’ll call you on that in three hours.  Have my possessions and be ready to trade when I call, because I won’t give you another chance.  This is my plan A; trust me when I say I have a less desirable but no less efficient Plan B already lined out.  Plan B, by the way, does not include this Turtle going home in one piece.”

            “Plan A gets my vote,” Mikey said, cringing when Ruffington jabbed him with the gun.

            “Just so you know, I prefer silent hostages,” Ruffington told him.

            “I’ll work on it,” Mikey promised.

            With Ruffington’s attention centered on Mikey for a moment, Ana narrowed her eyes and concentrated on the shell cell she knew was inside Mikey’s belt.  She also knew that he had called one of his brother’s earlier in the day and that she could manipulate the phone so that it would recall that number.

            Ana had just managed to activate the phone when Ruffington looked up and saw her dome begin to glow.

            “I told you two to stand still,” Ruffington said gruffly, “move again and this Turtle is going to be wearing two bullet holes in his head.”

            “Totally not my idea of a great fashion statement dude,” Mikey said.  Ruffington pushed the gun against his neck hard, bending him forward.

            “Ouch!” Mikey exclaimed.

            “Shut up and start moving,” Ruffington said.

            Lowering a hand to Mikey’s shoulder, Ruffington began pulling him backwards towards the dock side entrance.  Nano and Ana remained stock-still, afraid that the smallest movement would force Ruffington to make good on his promise to hurt Mikey.

            Ana was certain she’d never in her entire life been as frightened as she was at this moment.  Mikey didn’t have his weapons with him and he was in the hands of a brutal and desperate man.

            All she and Nano could do was watch as the love of their lives was dragged out of the building at gunpoint.  Watch and pray that his brother had received the message and was on his way.


	93. JF93 Entwined

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 4,096  
> Rated: NC-17  
> Summary: Donatello and Raptarr participate in an Avian joining ceremony.

            Don awoke lazily amidst cool sheets and fresh air.  It was one of the perks of spending time on Avian; being above the smog and pollution, not to mention out of the sewers.  His keen sense of smell reveled in the invigorating change.

            The clink of glasses recalled him to the sound that had awakened him in the first place and Don sat up, covering a huge yawn with the back of his hand.  On the other side of Raptarr’s large bedroom was the Avian himself, carefully setting out a meal on a round table near the picture window.

            Raptarr had brought him to Avian and insisted that Don sleep for a few hours before the joining ceremony was scheduled to begin.  After a long and extremely satisfying kiss, Raptarr had settled Donatello into his bed and then surprisingly told the Turtle that he would be sleeping alone.

            The kiss had left Don anticipating more of the same and though he tried to talk Raptarr into remaining with him, the Avian had been steadfast.  There was something a little mysterious in Raptarr’s insistence that they spend the few hours before the ceremony apart and Don could only suspect that it had something to do with the tradition that he was about to embark upon with Raptarr.

            “Did you sleep well, Donatello?” Raptarr asked as Don padded over to him.

            “Yes, very,” Don said, touching Raptarr’s arm as he leaned down to get a whiff of the food.  “Dinner?”

            Raptarr nodded, pulling Don into his arms.  “It is our custom to eat well before the ceremony begins.  This food is designed to supply the greatest amount of nutrients and provide the body with energy.”

            Don’s eyes had done a quick scan of the meal and he asked, “Does the joining ceremony involve a lot of running?  This food is high in glycogen.”

            Instead of answering, Raptarr leaned in to capture Don’s mouth.  In response, Don let his tongue make Raptarr aware of the fact that the Turtle would be happy to skip the meal in favor of another activity.

            Rather breathlessly Raptarr broke the kiss he’d initiated and stepped back, waving towards a chair with his hand.

            “Please sit and eat now.  We have less than an hour before we must appear before the Gate of Affirmation,” Raptarr told him.

            “You’re being very mysterious,” Don said, smiling as he slid into the chair.

            Raptarr sat opposite him and returned the smile.  “I want this experience to be very special to you,” he explained.  “I do not know what it looks like beyond the gate; only those who have been joined or the presiding magistrates have ever seen it.  It is forbidden to fly over those walls and we are not supposed to speak of what we see once we’ve been inside.  We rely on the anticipation of the unknown to increase the specialness of the ceremony.”

            “Maybe I should take my bo staff,” Don said, frowning slightly.  In his experience, the unknown usually involved danger.

            Reaching across the table, Raptarr touched the back of Don’s hand.  “It is completely safe, my love.  Everyone who has ever gone inside has come back exactly the same.”

            “I hope so,” Don said before taking a bite of his food, “otherwise Raph and Mikey will tease me ceaselessly.”

            Raptarr’s laughter made him smile and push aside his doubt.  Don didn’t want to worry about walking into danger tonight, especially when he was starting to get just a bit jittery.

            An hour later the jittery feeling had turned to a full blown case of nerves.  He’d had time for a quick bath after which Raptarr had presented him with another new mask of the same rich material as the first.  In addition to the mask had been a fresh, new set of leather pads and a matching belt.  Raptarr himself had changed into clothes very similar to what he usually wore, but the material was much more lustrous.

            Don knew those things were partly responsible for his nervousness; the occasion had to be more important than Raptarr had let on if they were going to dress especially for it.  After they were clothed, Raptarr had flown with Don in his arms to the location for the ceremony.

            Upon landing, Don saw that a large number of Avians had gathered just outside of a walled off portion of the city.  As he and Raptarr walked closer, Don recognized some of the higher ranking dignitaries, the doctors who had treated him, and quite a few others he’d never seen before.

            Being surrounded by so many people, all smiling and bowing, made Don jumpy.  Raptarr took his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.  When Don looked at his partner, he saw the gentle smile and angelic blue eyes he’d fallen in love with.  Inhaling deeply, Don turned back towards the crowd and offered them a smile.

            Together, Don and Raptarr walked past the well-wishers towards an unpretentious ivy covered wooden gate set in the wall.  The crowd was at least twenty feet away from this gate, as though some invisible line had been drawn.

            Standing next to the gate was a tall Avian dressed in dark, flowing purple robes.  His expression was inscrutable; he said nothing as they advanced, simply watching the pair walk towards him.

            Suddenly Don stopped, feeling unsure and more than a little out of place.  Raptarr tugged on his hand but when the Turtle didn’t budge, Raptarr glanced at him.  When he saw that Don was staring at the ground, his face carrying a slightly confused look, Raptarr moved around so that he could stand directly in front of Don.

            Looking up to meet Raptarr’s eyes, Don said, “I’m sorry, I just started to feel a little . . . silly.  I want to do this because it’s important to you, but I’m a male and . . . .”

            When he trailed off Raptarr began to understand.  “Is it because your brothers were teasing you?  The references that they made were to ceremonies similar to this?”

            “Yes,” Don admitted.  “The human equivalent I suppose.  Certain traditional aspects which are primarily feminine.”

            Raptarr thought about it for a moment.  “Donatello, do you think that any of your brother’s lovers will ever proclaim their commitment and undying devotion in a public forum, for any and all to hear?” he asked softly.

            Don stared into Raptarr’s blue eyes and then a wide smile stretched across his face.  “No, I don’t think any of them will ever have that privilege.  Come on; let’s not keep these people waiting.”

            Together they continued to the gate, stopping only when the magistrate stepped in front of it.  In his hand he held one of the glowing crystals that powered the city and Don noticed that just above the gate was another crystal which matched exactly the one held by the magistrate.

            “Speak your purpose,” the Avian intoned.

            Don’s eyes shifted to Raptarr, waiting for him to say something.

            “We have come to be joined,” Raptarr said in response.

            “The bond is forever,” the magistrate said.

            “It is our wish that it be so,” Raptarr said.

            “You have chosen an outsider for a mate,” the magistrate said.  “Will you hold to him if his demands pull you from your home, your friends, and your birth right?”

            “I will hold to him forever,” Raptarr said, his voice filled with conviction.  “Where he goes, so go I.  I will cling to him through all adversity; none shall ever part us.”

            The magistrate looked at Don.  “Outsider, do you fully understand that the taking of an Avian for a mate is a commitment for life?”

            “I do,” Don said.

            “You will never turn your back on him, never grow tired of his company, nor treat him as a novelty that you have become bored with?” the magistrate asked.

            “Raptarr is not a novelty to me,” Don said.  “I love him very much for the person that he is on the inside. He is special and I will never let anything take him from me.”

            The magistrate looked from Don to Raptarr and then back again.  Neither said a word; their hands clasped tightly together as they waited.

            After a couple of minutes, the magistrate bowed his head and looked into the crystal that he held.  Its glow brightened and then continued to do so, gradually becoming so intense that the magistrate had to lift it overhead in order that it not blind him.

            A beam of light shot out of the crystal and pierced the one above the gate.  That crystal began to glow as well, followed by a crackling sound, and then the gate began to open.

            The magistrate lowered his crystal and moved aside, his eyes on Raptarr and Don.  As the pair began to walk through the gate, Don felt a little shudder pass from Raptarr’s hand into his own.  Moving closer to his lover, Don pressed his arm against Raptarr’s and the gesture brought a smile to the Avian’s face.  Once they had passed through the gate, it slowly closed behind them.

            Following a patterned stone path, the pair walked through an immense garden.  The wall that surrounded it was covered in ivy and flowering vines, the path bordered with a myriad of flowers.  Trees and bushes were covered in lush growth that seemed to swallow all ambient sound.

            In the hushed silence they could hear the sound of water splashing from somewhere ahead of them.  The path seemed to be taking them ever closer to the source of the sound and the pair began to walk just a bit faster.

            The sky had begun to darken; the rich indigo dotted with fluffy clouds that the setting sun had started to paint with rainbow colors.  The sight was breathtaking from this altitude and the only thing that drew Don’s gaze away from it was a silvery glow that grew in brilliance as they neared the sound of the water.

            Rounding a turn on the path, the pair stepped into an open courtyard filled with flowers.  Directly in front of them the path ended at the base of a huge fountain.  Three steps ringed the fountain, circling its entire circumference.  From a bowl atop a column in the center of the fountain three sprays of luminescent water poured over the edge, falling into a larger basin and filling it.  That basin then emptied into another where the water was trapped by the retaining wall of the third step.

            Standing on that step was another magistrate.  This one wore robes of muted gray and in his hands he held a simple gold chalice.

            “Stop,” he said to the pair as they reached the steps.

            Raptarr and Don did as they were told, both silently looking up at the magistrate.

            “You have opened the gate,” the magistrate stated.

            “Our love has opened the gate,” Raptarr replied.

            “The path you follow has brought you to my fountain.  Will you continue on this path?” the magistrate asked.

            “We will never stray from it,” Raptarr answered.

            “Separate, turn, and face each other,” the magistrate told them.

            When Raptarr released Don’s hand and turned to look at him, Don followed suit, bringing his hands to his sides as he emulated his lover’s posture.  Don felt as though he was supposed to say something, but since he didn’t know exactly what was proper, he waited for a clue from Raptarr.

            It was the magistrate who gave them their words.  “In unison you will please repeat these words.  ‘Life’s path is long and arduous’.”

            Don and Raptarr intoned simultaneously, “Life’s path is long and arduous.”

            “We are not meant to walk it alone,” the magistrate said.

            As one they repeated, “We are not meant to walk it alone.”

            “It shines brightest when we are together,” the magistrate said.

            The pair echoed, “It shines brightest when we are together.”

            “Let us follow that light forever,” the magistrate said.

            In unison they said, “Let us follow that light forever.”

            “Face me and kneel,” the magistrate instructed.

            Raptarr reached out for Don’s hand once more and the pair then kneeled side by side on the bottom step.  The magistrate turned and dipped the chalice into the sparkling water of the fountain, carefully wiping the edge of the cup with his robe.

            From his position, Don could see that Y’Lyntian power crystals were embedded in the walls of the largest basin.  He also noted that the magistrate at no time allowed the water to come into contact with his bare skin.

            Slightly unnerved, Don glanced over at Raptarr, but his lover was watching the magistrate with rapt attention.  Nevertheless, he seemed to sense Don’s unease, because Raptarr gave his lover’s hand a reassuring squeeze.

            Standing before them, the magistrate said, “The Fountain of Unity will now join you.  You must accept this cup freely and drink from it willingly.”

            He offered the cup first to Raptarr, who took the chalice into both hands.

            “I, Raptarr of Avian, choose of my own free will to drink from this cup and thereby pledge my life and love to my forever mate, Donatello.”

            With that Raptarr placed the chalice to his lips and tilted his head back, draining the cup of its contents and then returning the vessel to the magistrate.

            As the magistrate turned to fill the chalice once more, Raptarr looked over at Don and winked.  Whatever misgivings Don had been feeling disappeared immediately.

            When the chalice was offered to him, Don took it into his hands just as Raptarr had done and repeated the words his lover had used, “I, Donatello of Earth, choose of my own free will to drink from this cup and thereby pledge my life and love to my forever mate, Raptarr.”

            Tipping the chalice so he could drink from it, Don saw that a single round crystal was embedded in the very bottom of the cup.  Opening his mouth, he began to drink the cool liquid, feeling a slight tickle as it flowed down his throat.  The water itself was fresh and sweet, by far the sweetest water he had ever tasted.

            After he finished drinking off the chalice’s contents, Don passed the cup back to the magistrate and reached towards Raptarr, finding that his lover’s hand was already coming for his.  Don couldn’t help but think that this joining ceremony was very similar to a wedding, and although his brothers had teased him and would probably do so again, Don felt nothing but sheer joy at being able to experience this with Raptarr.

            Don realized that he was beginning to feel very strong and energized.  He wondered vaguely if the fountain contained properties similar to a power drink, but had no time to dwell on the thought as the magistrate moved down a step towards the pair.

            “Let the water take you on to the next segment of your journey.  Live well my friends,” he told them.

            Since this was obviously their dismissal, Raptarr and Don stood up.  The magistrate bowed to them as they turned to leave, a glint in his eyes and a wide smile on his face.

            Don waited until they were out of the magistrate’s hearing to ask, “Is it over?  Was that the entire ceremony?”

            Raptarr cleared his throat, seeming to have difficulty speaking for just a second.  “Not quite, my love,” he finally said.  “There is a final component of the ritual which we must accomplish.”

            The Avian was walking faster than he had when they entered the garden.  Already the sound of the fountain had disappeared and Don thought he could hear the murmur of voices from the waiting crowd.

            Don didn’t press Raptarr on the ‘final component’ his lover had spoken of because he didn’t think he’d get an answer.  Raptarr had shown great determination in keeping parts of the joining ceremony secret because of his desire to make the experience special for Donatello.  The fact that Don was also beginning to feel a bit strange kept the Turtle from asking questions.

            As if sensing their presence, the gate swung open when they neared it.  The group of well-wishers still maintained their distance from the garden entrance but now they were cheering and applauding as the mated pair exited through the gate.

            Don felt a sudden surge of pride and love for Raptarr as he walked between a double line of his mate’s friends and colleagues.  The group was tossing flower petals on the ground in front of them but other than that, Don was surprised that no one attempted to speak to them.

            Partway through the crowd, Don began to feel flushed.  He wasn’t sure if it was from embarrassment or some reaction to the water he’d drunk.  As the heated feeling intensified, Don noticed it was beginning to pool in one particular area of his body.

            Raptarr suddenly moved closer to him, releasing Don’s hand in favor of putting an arm around the Turtle.  The Avian’s touch made Don’s entire body begin to tingle with desire.

            Don’s mouth dropped open as he realized what the so-called ‘Fountain of Unity’ water really was.  He looked at Raptarr and saw that the Avian’s eyes were shining with the same kind of need that was slowly consuming Donatello.

            Without a word, Raptarr scooped Don into his arms and took off into the sky.  Behind them the cheers grew louder as the crowd, understanding Raptarr’s intent, urged him on.

            Suddenly Don felt as though he wasn’t close enough to Raptarr and slipped his arms around the Avian’s neck.  Twisting so that he could push his chest against Raptarr’s, Don clamped down on Raptarr’s neck with his mouth, kissing every square inch of skin he could reach.

            Raptarr’s moan was loud as he doubled his flight speed, his wings a white blur against the ever darkening sky.

            “Faster,” Don groaned, tightening his hold.  “That water,  wh . . . what was it?”

            “Aphrodisiac,” Raptarr answered, his face concentrated.  Don’s movements were arousing him too quickly but all he wanted right then was more.

            “Shell,” Don said in a gusty exhale.  “I g . . . guessed that.  Why?”

            Raptarr had purposely left one of his bedroom’s large picture windows open and he flew straight inside, heading directly for the bed.

            As he dropped Don onto it and fell atop his lover, Raptarr said, “Proclamation, Affirmation, Con . . .  Consummation.  This is the f . . . final component of our journey.”

            With those words his mouth plunged downwards to cover Don’s.

            Raptarr was grinding against Don, his erection complete and straining against the fabric of his pants.  Don’s cock slid out as well and the Turtle rubbed himself against Raptarr’s clothing.

            “I hate clothes,” Don whispered, pushing against the Avian until they were both sitting up.

            With uncharacteristic brutality, Don tore at Raptarr’s shirt, unconcerned when the garment ripped apart in several places.  As he tried to strip the Avian, Raptarr latched onto Don’s neck and began sucking.

            Don churred long and loud.  In desperation he shoved Raptarr onto his back, barely lucid enough to be careful of his lover’s wings.  Grasping a double handful of Raptarr’s pants, Don yanked them down and off, delighted when his lover’s erection sprang into the open.

            Hands shaking, Don yanked Raptarr’s legs apart and then took a deep breath of sanity.

            “Lube, lube,” Don said frantically, looking around.  “Where the shell is the lube?”

            “Don,” Raptarr called, his voice heavy with need.  When Don didn’t look at him, he tried again.  “Donatello!”

            “Raptarr, we need lube,” Don practically whined, his penis bouncing and throbbing painfully.

            “Plug,” Raptarr said breathlessly.  “I prepped before we left.”

            Don sprang forward, a possessive growl falling from his lips. He grabbed the butt plug that Raptarr had so thoughtfully inserted into himself and pulled it out.  Though Don’s movement was harsh, Raptarr didn’t complain, too lost in his own desire to really care.

            In Don’s first attempt to penetrate Raptarr, the ninja’s belt got in the way and Don practically barked in frustration as he tore at the knot and then flung the belt away from him.

            Grasping the undersides of Raptarr’s thighs, Don lifted them slightly and plunged his entire length into his lover.

            “Yes!” Raptarr yelped at the hard and fast intrusion.

            Don began to thrust at a blinding pace, his head down and muscles bulging.  His churrs soon gave way to guttural grunts as he sought relief for his now overwhelming need.

            Raptarr twisted against the bed as Don managed to strike his prostate over and over.  Spreading his wings beneath him, Raptarr started to open and close them rhythmically, rubbing the sensitive upper arch against the sheets.  Since Don was gripping his legs with both hands, Raptarr reached down and pumped his own cock, striving to match the hard and fast pace Don was setting inside him.

            “I should have told you; I should have warned you,” Raptarr said in a rush, his lust spiraling into a hard knot in his pelvis.

            “I love this, I love this, I love this,” Don rasped with each forward lunge.  “I’m glad . . . anh . . . you didn’t . . . hnn . . . say anything . . . mph!”

            With one last hard thrust, Don climaxed.  His cock, buried deep inside Raptarr’s core, erupted with such force that the Avian could feel Don’s seed filling him.

            Shuddering through his orgasm, Don further stimulated Raptarr’s overloaded system and with a final pull, the Avian spilled over into his own climax.  Don reached up quickly and covered Raptarr’s hand so that together they could pump out the last traces of the Avian’s come.

            Breathing harshly, Don pulled out of Raptarr’s body and fell next to him, careful to avoid landing on Raptarr’s spread wings.  The Avian pulled them back close to this body and rolled onto his side so that he could stretch an arm over Don’s plastron.

            After a moment, Don’s brain began to function again and curiosity took over.

            “Why the aphrodisiac?  It doesn’t seem to me that two lovers going through a joining ceremony would need that extra boost,” Don said.

            “The tradition began long ago when the Avian populace was very small,” Raptarr explained.  “When the Y’lyntians transformed our human predecessors, the change affected our reproductive organs.  There were very few women among us and we discovered very quickly that a single male could not produce enough seed to impregnate his mate.

            “Because of our predisposition to bonding, we were unable to bring multiple males together with a single female.  We were facing the extinction of our kind until one of our mages began to experiment with plants, herbs, and the crystals we’d recovered.  He created the water that serves today as the Fountain of Unity.  The aphrodisiac not only increases the libido, it also stimulates increased egg and seed production.

            “Drinking the water is always followed by a night of intense lovemaking.  Our females began to reproduce two or three children at each birthing and our kind was saved.”

            “I was worried when we were standing at the gate that the magistrate wouldn’t open it,” Don said.  “Like he pointed out, I am an outsider and obviously not female.”

            “The magistrate doesn’t open the gate, Donatello,” Raptarr said.  “He is merely a tool.  The crystals are truth detectors and do not differentiate between the types of beings or genders of those who stand before it.  Their only concern is that the words that are spoken in their presence are the truth.”

            Raptarr’s hands were moving over Donatello as he spoke and the Turtle felt his body start to respond favorably.  Turning so that he could press himself against Raptarr’s chest, Don’s hungry mouth sought that of his Avian lover’s.  Their tongues danced together for several long moments and then Don felt Raptarr’s cock spring to life against his thigh.

            With a churr, Don’s cock filled into a proper erection as well, the heat inside of him beginning to burn away his rationality once more.

            Before he succumbed completely, Don broke their kiss to ask, “So this is going to con . . . continue to affect us all n . . .night?”

            “Yes~s,” Raptarr hissed, his hand seeking and finding Don’s erection.  “Possibly . . .  possibly t . . . tomorrow as well.”

            As Don again swarmed over Raptarr, he said, “I have . . . absolutely . . .  no problem with that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This lovely image was created for this story by the very talented Teratophelia on DeviantArt.  
> 


	94. JF94 A Fugitive's Mistake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 4,584  
> Rated: R  
> Summary: Raph and Tsunami race to Mikey's rescue.

            Mikey could think of at least a dozen maneuvers he’d been trained to use to disarm someone holding a gun on him, but none of them was effective against a hair trigger in the hands of a desperate man.  Especially when that man  was twisting the barrel of said gun into the back of Mikey’s neck.

            Without an inch of maneuvering room, all Mikey could do was cooperate as Ruffington pulled him through the Justice Force building’s dock door.  At some point Mikey figured the man would give him that inch and then Mikey was going to turn it into a mile.  He was currently considering the best way to twist the gun so that he could jam it down Ruffington’s throat.

            Ruffington’s grip tightened on Mikey’s shoulder as he spun them both around so he could begin shoving his captive across the dock.  Mikey’s chin was nearly touching his chest because of the position of the gun against his neck, so he couldn’t look straight ahead.  With his eyes up as high as they would go, Mikey only managed to see a couple of feet in front of him.  Ruffington was taking no chances.

            As they neared the edge of the dock, Mikey could just make out the hull of the boat Ruffington was headed towards.  It was too large to be a speedboat; not quite big enough to be a small yacht.

            Releasing his hold on Mikey’s shoulder, Ruffington pushed against Mikey’s neck with the gun and growled, “Get in.”

            As Mikey stepped into what he could now see was a cabin cruiser, he asked, “Can I drive?  I’ve always wanted to take one of these cabin cruisers for a spin.  What do you call this color, hemorrhoid brown?”

            “Shut it,” Ruffington said, jumping into the boat quickly.  Without easing up on the pressure of the gun against Mikey’s skin, he ordered, “Go up to the front.”

            “Bow,” Mikey corrected automatically.

            Ruffington’s shove was the only answer he got so Mikey started walking.  Large metal rails ran from stem to stern along both the port and starboard sides of the vessel, merging atop the raised platform on the bow.

            When they climbed up to that point, Ruffington yanked Mikey to a stop and withdrew the gun.  Feeling the pressure of the gun barrel let up, Mikey slowly lifted his head.

            “Nice vi . . . .” he started to say before something slammed against his skull.

            The blow wasn’t hard enough to knock him out, but his knees gave way and he sank to the deck.  For a few minutes his vision was blurry and while he was still too dizzy to do anything about it, Ruffington manhandled him around until Mikey’s carapace was pressed against the metal rail.

            Using rope that was already waiting there, Ruffington tied Mikey’s wrists together behind his back.  When that was done, the man then began to wind another rope around Mikey’s entire body, lashing him to the metal rail with numerous loops.

            With his head beginning to clear, Mikey quickly and silently inhaled a huge breath of air, expanding his chest as much as possible.  Ruffington didn’t notice the action as he completed the job and then grabbed another rope to use for tying Mikey’s ankles together.

            Satisfied with his handiwork, Ruffington picked his gun up and stepped back.  Taking a quick look around ensured him that the Justice Force members had heeded his warning and stayed inside the building.

            “I doubt if you’re comfortable,” Ruffington said with a sneer as he looked down at Mikey.  “To be honest, I really don’t give a shit.”

            “Couldn’t you have at least tied me so I was facing forward?” Mikey asked.  “If I have to cruise around looking back for too long, I’m probably gonna throw up.”

            Ruffington snorted.  “Not that it would bother me if you wanted to soil yourself, I have another reason for placing you right where you are.”

            Mikey was starting to get a mild headache so he didn’t bother to ask what Ruffington’s reason was.  He figured the man would brag about it soon enough.

            Instead of saying anything, Ruffington jumped down from the platform and bent over to grab something.  Standing up again, he smiled and showed Mikey the end of another piece of rope, this one thinner than what Mikey was tied with.  Ruffington swiftly looped the end around the inside toes on both of Mikey’s feet.

            “It’s nice you have such big, long toes,” Ruffington said.  “It makes this task much easier.  Pay very careful attention now because not listening will get you killed.”

            “I’m listening,” Mikey said, pretty sure he didn’t like where this was going.

            Stepping aside, Ruffington waved towards the helm.  Mounted on a rail almost directly in front of the ship’s wheel was a shotgun, pointed right at Mikey.  The other end of the rope was looped through a pulley and tied to the trigger.

            A second thin line ran from the trigger over the rail and into the cockpit.

            “I’m going to have the matching line hooked to my belt.  Double my pleasure, double my fun,” Ruffington said with a laugh.  “If you move your feet, you’ll pull the trigger.  If someone tries to mess with me while I’m at the wheel, I’ll pull the trigger.  Guess what happens in either scenario?”

            “I get blasted by the big, giant shotgun,” Mikey said.

            Ruffington practically beamed at him.  “You might actually manage to make it out of this alive,” he said.  “I need to cast off now; I’d suggest you stay very still.”

            Tucking the gun into his waistband, Ruffington trotted back to the stern.  Mikey turned his head to look around and noticed that the Justice Force launch was no longer tied to the dock.  Since he couldn’t see it anywhere, he decided that Ruffington must have done something to it so that no one could follow them.

            He wondered if the man had been watching the building and knew that Silver Sentry and Tsunami were away for the night.  Mikey doubted that Ruffington would have tried this trick if either of them had been around.

            Now that Ruffington was no longer staring directly at him, Mikey let out the breath he’d taken and felt the ropes slacken slightly.  It wasn’t much but it allowed him some movement in his arms and shoulders.  Given enough time, Mikey knew he could work the ropes off of his wrists and then slide his arms free of the ropes around his body.

            Of course, with Ruffington standing at the wheel looking right at him, Mikey probably wouldn’t get much further than that before the man pulled the trigger.  Given that his ankles were still tied, Mikey wasn’t going to have a lot of mobility to leap out of the way of the very wide blast pattern of that shotgun.

            Having his toes also tied to the trigger didn’t help; even if Ruffington was distracted by something for a moment, Mikey wouldn’t have enough time to untie the knot.  Given how taut the rope was as it stretched from him to the shotgun, doing so while the boat was moving was going to be damn tricky anyway.

            Mikey watched as Ruffington climbed into the cockpit and started the boat, shooting a satisfied look in his captive’s direction.

            As the cruiser pulled away from the Justice Force dock, Mikey remembered that Ananda’s dome had begun to glow just before Ruffington dragged him out of the building.  The only thing around them that Ana could have possibly been trying to control was Mikey’s shell cell, which was still in his belt.

            Mikey hoped like crazy that she’d been successful.  If so, then someone was either already on the way, or they would get the message and track his cell to wherever it was that Ruffington was planning to take him.  Waiting for a moment when Ruffington’s head was turned so he wouldn’t see Mikey’s mouth moving, the orange banded Turtle took the chance that his cell was transmitting.

            “Hey bro’, if you’re listening, I’m tied up in the bow of a brown cabin cruiser,” Mikey relayed.  “There’s a shotgun pointed right at my middle and both Ruffington and I are hooked up to the trigger.  Hope you’ve got some bright ideas, just make sure they don’t include shaking this boat.”

            With nothing better to do than wait, Mikey relaxed against the metal rail and began working on the rope around his wrists.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            “Did ya’ hear that?” Raph asked as he raced towards the water on his motorcycle.

            When Ananda had activated Mikey’s shell cell so that it would call his brother, Raph had left the call active so that he could monitor what was going on.  Tucked into his belt, the volume was still loud enough for both he and Tsunami to listen in.

            “Yes,” Tsunami answered.  “Michelangelo was attempting to let us know where he has been taken and what sort of trap Ruffington has set up for him.  Very intelligent of your brother.”

            “Mikey has his moments,” Raph agreed.  “Ya’ know if we go after Ruffington on one of your water slides he’s gonna see us and blast Mikey.”

            “I’m aware that the direct approach is out of the question,” Tsunami said as Raph braked hard and skid to a stop on a pier.

            During their ride, Tsunami had communicated with Ananda to let her know that he and Raph were on their way to intercept Ruffington.  He’d told her to wait for them and to not attempt to follow the man, assuring her that between he and Raph they were more than capable of handling the situation.

            Leaping from the motorcycle, Raph watched as his lover dismounted, removing his helmet so that he could look out over the water.  Raising a hand into the air, Tsunami directed a large wave up from the surface and brought it onto the pier.

            Since that wasn’t how he usually called for a water slide, Raph gave him a puzzled look and asked, “What are ya’ doing?”

            “Watch and learn,” Tsunami said in that smug way that made Raph want to pinch a certain part of his body very hard.

            Lifting both arms, Tsunami cupped his hands, holding them a couple of feet apart.  When he began using a slight side to side motion, Raph looked over at the water.

            The large slab of water was now a giant water ball, expanding as Tsunami continued to move his hands.  After a moment, the blue mutant lowered his hands and glanced back at Raph.

            “Our ride is ready,” Tsunami told him.

            “What ride?” Raph asked.  “That’s a giant water balloon.”

            “Exactly,” Tsunami said, grinning and holding his hand out to Raph.

            Raph took it, staring suspiciously at his lover, and then gaped as Tsunami began to pull him into the water.

            “What the shell?”  Raph hesitated, wondering if Tsunami remembered that turtles breathed air.

            “Raphael, what are balloons filled with?” Tsunami asked him.

            “What the hell kinda question is that?”  Raph glared as Tsunami continued to pull at him.  “They’re full of  . . . of air!”

            “Come inside,” Tsunami said, disappearing behind a wall of water.

            Still gripping Tsunami’s hand, Raph took a deep breath and stepped into the water.

            The inside of the ball was a large open space, completely devoid of water.  Around them the walls shifted and glimmered, reflecting their images back at them.  As Raph stepped up next to the water sprite, Tsunami created a platform that lifted the two of them into the direct center of the ball.

            A wave of Tsunami’s fingers sent the ball rolling out onto the surface of the river.  Although it twisted and spun, the platform they were standing on remained stationary.

            “Are you tracking Michelangelo?” Tsunami asked.

            “Huh?  Oh yeah,” Raph said, tearing his eyes away from the water ball to yank his shell cell out of his belt.

            Pressing a couple of buttons gave him a display screen that showed a tiny ‘M’ moving somewhere up ahead of them.  Holding it out in front of Tsunami, Raph watched as his lover changed the water ball’s direction so they would intersect with Mikey’s.

            “This is a pretty intense ride, Tsu, but we got the same problem as with your water slide,” Raph said.  “Ruffington’s gonna see us coming from a mile away.”

            “No he will not,” Tsunami said, the corner of his mouth shifting up into a cocky smile.

            Tsunami straightened his hand and then flicked his wrist downward.  As soon as he did so, the water ball began to sink.

            “Shit!” Raph grabbed Tsunami’s arm, startled by the movement.  When he saw that the ball remained intact even fully submerged, he muttered, “Warn a guy next time.”

            Tsunami would have liked to gloat over surprising Raph, but now was not the time.  “However fast Ruffington is traveling, we will be able to catch him.  I can use the water to stall his boat’s engine and then we can board her.  The water will take care of the shotgun as well.”

            “And I’m gonna take care of Ruffington,” Raph said with a growl.  “Ya’ go ahead and untie Mikey; don’t worry about what I’m gonna be doing.”

            Tsunami glanced at Raph from the corner of his eye.  The muscular Turtle’s face was as grim as Tsunami had ever seen it, his jaw working as he ground his teeth together.  Every inch of the solid green form was rigid; veins bulging across the wide expanse of brawny flesh.

            It was both frightening and mesmerizing.  The sight and feel of Raph’s intense emotions was what had drawn Tsunami to the red banded ninja in the first place.  Tsunami also knew that if he didn’t find a way to control Raph’s power, that the Turtle might very well kill Ruffington.

            Leonardo somehow exerted dominion over this magnificent display of furious might, but the only thing that the water sprite shared with the oldest of the Turtles was the color blue.  Tsunami had up until now been completely himself when interacting with Raphael and saw no reason to change his approach.

            “I certainly hope you aren’t planning to tear the man limb from limb,” Tsunami said mildly.  “That would get quite messy.”

            “My brother; my rules,” Raph snapped.

            “Michelangelo is the Turtle Titan,” Tsunami reminded him.  “As a Justice Force alternate, he is sworn to uphold the law.  He won’t be happy if you kill Ruffington.”

            Raph didn’t say anything for a moment, and then he exhaled loudly.  “Dammit,” he said in a quieter tone of voice.

            “I shall of course be occupied with helping Michelangelo out of his bonds, so neither he nor I will be in a position to notice if Ruffington should happen to slip and fall a few times.  I’m sure the accompanying bruises won’t engender too many questions,” Tsunami added with a touch of humor.

            The corners of Raph’s mouth kicked up into a tiny smile.  “Try not ta spoil me,” he said.

            “I wouldn’t dream of it,” Tsunami replied, keeping a straight face.

            As Tsunami kept them on course for Ruffington’s stolen cruiser, Raph took the time to look around him.  Calmed by Tsunami’s humor, he noticed with fascination that riding in the bubble was almost like gliding along in Don’s shell sub, except that he had a much better view.

            “This could be turned into a very comfortable mode of travel should a certain someone wish to join me in an around the world adventure,” Tsunami said without taking his eyes off the tracking signal.

            “Just can’t get enough of me, can ya’, Tsu?” Raph asked with a grin.

            “Now you know my secret,” Tsunami joked.  “Every waking moment is filled with thoughts of you, in every dream I succumb to your charms, with every breath I fill my lungs to stay alive just for you, with . . . .”

            “Shut up,” Raph barked.

            “But I have so much more eloquence to dazzle you with,” Tsunami quipped.

            “Asshole,” Raph replied.

            “That also belongs to y . . . ah, wait!  I believe I see the vessel your brother is on,” Tsunami said quickly.

            Raph turned to look, following the direction of Tsunami’s gaze.  Ahead and above them a cruiser was moving along at a fair rate of speed.

            “Mikey said brown.   Does that hull look brown ta ya’?” Raph asked.

            “It does indeed,” Tsunami answered.  “If it is the wrong boat, we’ll find out soon enough.”

            Tsunami started to lift his hand but Raph grabbed his arm and pulled it down.

            “What are ya’ gonna do?” Raph asked.  “If ya’ plan on stopping that boat, ya’ better have a way that’ll do the job nice and slow.  Ruffington’s got a booby trapped shotgun pointed at my brother, remember?”

            “I am quite capable of subtlety, Raphael,” Tsunami said, shaking Raph’s hand from his arm.  “This needs to appear as though the boat were having a mechanical failure, otherwise Ruffington will pull the trigger on that shotgun himself.”

            Raph bit off his rejoinder; he was unused to trusting someone other than family with the lives of his brothers.  He reminded himself that he’d fallen for Tsunami for a number of reasons, one of which was that the blue mutant was very good at what he did.

            As Tsunami used his hands in a manner not unlike that of a symphony conductor, Raph looked beyond the bubble to watch for his lover’s newest trick.  Tiny whirlpools began to spin up from the bottom of the river; miniature tornadoes each carrying thick clumps of underwater vegetation.

            They were tornadoes with a purpose.  Each one unerringly aimed by Tsunami at the cruiser’s propeller, they splashed and dissipated against their target as they delivered their payload.

            Mikey was beginning to loosen the ropes binding his wrists together when he felt a distinct shift in the cruiser’s speed.  Glancing up, he could tell by the expression on Ruffington’s face that the man had nothing to do with the change.  In another minute, the cruiser was traveling at a noticeably slower rate and Mikey didn’t need to be a lip reader to know what kinds of words Ruffington was using.

            As the ropes began to slip over his hands, Mikey took a quick moment to look around him.  He didn’t see anyone near them; the other boats on the river were far away and obviously going about their own business.  The way Mikey had it figured, the cruiser was either having legitimate engine issues, or Tsunami was under them.

            Mikey didn’t believe his turtle luck would have it that Ruffington stole a defective boat, so he began banking on the second option.  Since Tsunami wasn’t showing himself and the boat was now barely crawling, Mikey figured his brother Raph was with the blue mutant and that they’d gotten his message.

            Suddenly Mikey’s hands were free and he started rubbing them to remove the tingling sensation that came with the return of proper circulation.  Mikey looked up again to see what Ruffington was doing and saw that the man’s head was down, his attention on the cruiser’s controls.

            Seeing a chance to shift positions, Mikey lowered his hands to either side of his body and hip walked further down onto the platform.  As the bottom edge of his carapace connected with the decking, the ropes crawled up along Mikey’s body.

            Bringing his shoulders in as far as possible, Mikey continued to wriggle downwards, trying to slide as much of his lower body out of the ropes as he could.  If he could manage to get them past his elbows, he could bend his arms and pull the ropes off the rest of the way.

            His current position had the added bonus of having given him nearly an inch of slack in the cord tied around his toes and connected to the shotgun’s trigger.  Whatever else happened, Mikey knew that at least he wasn’t going to be shooting himself.

            Between the seaweed and the counter spinning of the water that Tsunami threw against the cruiser’s propeller, the boat had slowed to a near standstill.

            As the transport bubble they were traveling in drew nearer the boat, Raph said, “Can ya’ bring us up on the port side, back of the helm?  I want ta be as close ta Ruffington as possible so he won’t spot me coming.”

            “Of course,” Tsunami said, moving the bubble into position.  “The fact that it is dark out helps.  Once you are over the side, I will make my way to the bow and free Mikey.”

            “Let’s go,” Raph told him.

            When the bubble was nearly against the side of the boat, Tsunami began raising it from the water.  The bubble got smaller as Tsunami and Raph neared the surface, the top disappearing completely as the platform they were standing on moved into the open air.

            Raph leaped nimbly from the platform, catching the cruiser’s railing silently and pulling himself into the boat.  Tsunami didn’t look back as he squatted low on the water platform and rode it around to the bow of the craft.

            Mikey’s elbows were finally free of the ropes that bound his body to the metal rail.  Just as he was lifting his arms a familiar voice sounded from directly behind him.

            “Shall I let you finish on your own, or would you care for some assistance?” Tsunami asked in a whisper.

            “Get these ropes off me,” Mikey said.  “Where’s Raph?”

            “Where do you think?” Tsunami countered with a chuckle as he untied Mikey’s bindings.

            Mikey looked toward the helm just as a giant turtle shaped shadow crossed under the light in the cockpit, making straight for Ruffington.

            The man in front of him was so engrossed in his attempts to restart the cruiser’s propellers that he wasn’t watching Mikey.  That suited Raph just fine; from where he stood Raph could see part of Tsunami’s body peeking out from behind Mikey’s and knew Ruffington would see it too if he glanced up.

            Something else must have startled Ruffington into awareness though because just as Raph was reaching for him, the man jerked upright and snatched his gun off of the control panel.

            Raph lunged forward and wrapped his hand around Ruffington’s wrist, yanking the man’s arm up, which sent the gun flying over the side of the boat.  When Ruffington tried to pull his arm free, Raph wrenched it backwards sharply.  A very loud pop was followed immediately by Ruffington’s scream of pain and the man twisted against Raph’s hold.

            Mikey was staring directly at the two combatants when he saw Ruffington’s body roll sideways, pulling the cord that was attached to the shotgun.  Eyes wide, he watched the trigger snap back and felt the ropes fall away from him simultaneously.

            “Move!” Tsunami yelled in Mikey’s ear and the Turtle threw himself face down onto the platform.

            A huge rush of water leaped over the railing and hit the shotgun just as the blast went off.  Covering the weapon in a constricting cocoon, the force of the concussion was shoved back into the shotgun.  The pellets, unable to escape the bore, expanded inside the rifle and the weapon exploded.

            Still holding Ruffington’s wrist, Raph’s free arm snaked around the fugitive’s throat, immediately stopping the man’s struggles.

            “Y . . . you b  . . . broke my arm,” Ruffington gurgled around the pressure against his larynx.

            “No I didn’t, ya’ lucky bastard,” Raph snarled into his ear.  “Your shoulder’s just dislocated.  Ya’ got no idea how badly I’d like ta put ya’ out of your misery though.”

            His hold on Ruffington’s neck tightened as he recalled the sight of that shotgun aimed at his little brother.

            Suddenly Mikey popped up in front of them, squatting on the platform that was connected to the cockpit.  His grin was wide as he said, “Dude, he’s turning purple.”

            Rolling his eyes, Raph released Ruffington and took a step back.  The man fell forward, wheezing on top of the control panel, his injured arm dangling at his side as he reached up to hold his throat with the other hand.

            A movement to his left drew Raph’s attention and he saw Tsunami leaning back against the railing, watching the Turtle with an impish grin on his face.

            “Could ya’ have timed that a little closer?” Raph asked.

            “I thought ninjas were supposed to be the masters of stealth,” Tsunami countered.

            Chuckling, Raph turned his attention back to Ruffington.  “Well, shit, I guess the first thing we gotta do is fix that arm.”

            Locking a hand around Ruffington’s forearm, Raph braced the man’s body against his hip and slammed the heel of his hand into Ruffington’s shoulder. 

            Ruffington’s head went up and he screamed at the top of his lungs as his shoulder joint was painfully forced back into the socket.  Then his eyes rolled back in his head and he passed out.

            Raph let him slide to the floor, stepping away so the man wouldn’t land on his feet.

            Tsunami snorted and Mikey said, “You enjoyed that, didn’t you bro’?”

            The grin Raph gave him was wolfish.  “Maybe a little bit,” he said.

            From behind his back, Tsunami produced the rope that Mikey had been tied with and said, “Why don’t you bind him with his own rope?  It seems appropriate enough, though who knows how long it will be before he comes to.”

            Raph took the rope and kneeled next to the unconscious man, tying him up tightly.  “Yeah, well when he does, I want him ta be as uncomfortable as possible.”

            Mikey jumped down from his perch and made his way into the cockpit, lifting Ruffington over his shoulder once the man was trussed up.

            “I’ll toss him down in the cabin,” Mikey said.  “We should call Nobody and tell him this dude’s been caught.”

            “No!” Raph said loudly, standing up and shaking his head.  “Leo went off ta meet with him someplace so they could . . . discuss where they stood in their relationship.”

            Mikey grinned.  “You think they’re banging each other.”

            “Don’t be a dork,” Raph growled, taking a swat at Mikey’s head, which his little brother ducked despite his burden.  “Whatever they’re doing, I don’t think we should interrupt just yet.  We can lock Ruffington up in the Justice Force building and babysit his ass until morning.  Nobody can have him then.”

            “Righto,” Mikey sang and went below decks to deposit the unconscious fugitive.

            Raph turned to Tsunami.  “I’m assuming ya’ can unclog the propeller so we can drive this thing back ta your building.  As much fun as that bubble was, I’d kinda like ta stay dry for the rest of the night.”

            Tsunami stepped towards him and drew a finger slowly down Raph’s muscular arm.  “Once we lock Ruffington away, do you think you can stand water long enough to take a hot bath?”

            “Alone?” Raph asked, his voice a guttural tease.

            “Absolutely not,” Tsunami said.

            “Seems I’d be giving away my advantage,” Raph told him.

            “I’ll make it up to you,” Tsunami offered.  “My room does not have a waterbed in it.”

            “A bed?” Raph asked.  “Well shit, that’s a novel idea.”

            “One of many, I assure you,” Tsunami said.

            Raph moved up to the wheel, wrapping his hands around it before looking expectantly at Tsunami.

            “What are ya’ waiting for?” Raph asked.  “Let’s get this party started.”


	95. JF95 Best Laid Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 2,940  
> Rated: R  
> Summary: Handing Ruffington over to Officer Longer should have been easy.

            Leo was up early despite the late night of discovery he had spent with Nobody.  Partly it was from force of habit, partly it was to let his family know that he would be spending the day in Nobody’s apartment.

            Picking up his shell cell, he prepared to call Raph and have him give the phone to Master Splinter so that Leo could speak to him.  Master Splinter had a shell cell of his own, but tended to leave it turned off unless he was alone.  He had never quite mastered the device and didn’t really care for it much.

            Leo couldn’t help the slight smile that curved his mouth at the fact that Raph hated to be awakened this early.  Listening to his brother gripe about being pulled from sleep was one of Leo’s small guilty pleasures; it somewhat made up for the late nights Raph put him through.

            He heard the sound of the shower start up and hoped his family wouldn’t keep him on the phone long.  Leo was visualizing steaming droplets of water cascading off Nobody’s muscular form and was determined to see it for himself.

            Before he managed to press in a number though, the shell cell vibrated in his hand.  Flipping the cover open, Leo saw that the caller was Raph and became immediately anxious.

            “What happened?  Is anyone hurt?” Leo asked.

            _“Leo?  What?  Damn it bro’, that is no way ta answer the phone,”_ Raph said in a voice that was much more chipper than it should have been given the early hour.  _“How was your night?”_

            Eyes narrowed, Leo asked, “Did you call this early just to find that out?  None of your business, that’s how my night was.”

            Raph laughed.  _“That good huh?  Let me make it even better; guess who me and Mikey have got tied up and locked in a storage room over at the Justice Force building?”_

            “It’s too early for guessing games,” Leo objected.  “Why don’t you just tell me?”

            _“Ya’ ain’t any fun,”_ Raph said playfully.  _“Who was it that managed ta get away from Nobody and ya’ and has been dodging the police, the Justice Force, and Hun?  Tick, tock.”_

            “Ruffington?” Leo asked incredulously.  “You have Ruffington?”

            Obviously pleased with himself, Raph said, _“Yeah, not only do we have Ruffington, but he’s mostly in one piece.”_

            “Wait, how did you catch him?  Have you told the police?  Why did you take him to the JF building?” Leo asked in rapid fire succession.

            _“Slow down, Leo,”_ Raph said smugly.  _“If ya’ ain’t sittin’ down then ya’ should be; it’s kind of a long story.”_

            Instead of sitting, Leo walked over to the open bathroom door and activated the speaker phone function.  Holding the phone out so that Nobody could hear Raph’s tale of his previous night’s adventures, Leo watched his lover step out of the shower.  Leo’s eyes drifted appreciatively over the man’s body, regretting that their day together was now effectively cancelled.

            When Raph finished his story, he said, _“We didn’t turn him over ta the cops ‘cause we figured that Nobody might like ta be the one ta take Ruffington in.  Me and Mikey decided ta wait ‘til now ta tell ya’ about him ‘cause we didn’t want ta interrupt your time with Nobody.  Considering how long it took for the two of ya’ ta finally get together, we figured you’d spend the entire night . . . .”_

            “Thank you for being so considerate,” Leo interrupted before Raph could complete what was sure to be a descriptively lurid sentence.

            Nobody was grinning at the flustered look on his young lover’s face.  It wasn’t often he got to see this side of Leonardo and he found it to be very endearing.

            “I’d like to take Ruffington in as a cop rather than as Nobody,” the dark vigilante said, still wearing his smile.  “It’ll be a couple of hours before my commander and the head of the task force make it in to the precinct.  I’ll have time to clock in and sign out a squad car.  Can you meet me on the east side dock, pier forty, at ten?”

            _“No problem.  We’ll be in the cabin cruiser that Ruffington stole so ya’ can get it back ta its rightful owner.  We can tie the JF launch ta the cruiser and go back in that,”_ Raph said.

            “Please wear some disguises; it’s going to be broad daylight,” Leo reminded him.

            Raph chuckled.  _“Mikey brought some clothes with him, but I can’t really borrow anything from Tsu unless ya’ want ta see me in skin tight blue spandex.”_

            Leo couldn’t help but grin at the mental picture he got from that.  “Go ahead and borrow one from Tsunami and show me how you look in it later.”

            _“In your dreams,”_ Raph said with a snort.

            “I have some civilian clothes in my room there,” Nobody said.  “Help yourself to them.”

            _“Will do.  Don’t be late; the longer I’ve got Ruffington, the more ideas I get about using him as a pincushion,”_ Raph said before hanging up.

            Leo glanced at Nobody and said, “He’s kidding of course.”

            “I wouldn’t doubt that if it were anyone other than Raphael,” Nobody said humorously.  “We have some time before we have to leave; how about some breakfast?”

            “Since we’re not spending the day in here, I should leave before sunup,” Leo said.

            Nobody smiled.  “There’s a way out of the building through the basement.  It comes out in a small dead area between this building and the two adjacent to it.  From there you have easy and invisible access to the rooftops or a storm runoff drain which leads straight into the sewers.”  At the astonished look on Leo’s face, he added, “You didn’t think I’d live someplace that I couldn’t get in and out of unseen did you?”

            “Someday I’ll learn to stop underestimating you,” Leo said.

            “Actually I rather like surprising you,” Nobody replied.  “Now how about that breakfast?”

            Leo’s eyes crinkled as his face took on a sly look.  “I really wanted a nice, long, hot shower.  That’s where I was headed before Raph’s call interrupted me.”

            Nobody loosened the towel that was around his waist and let it drop to the floor.  “Suddenly I feel as though I missed a few spots during mine.  Mind if I join you?”

            “That is a very fine plan,” Leo said, moving forward to press himself against his lover.

================================

            At ten a.m. Nobody stood just inside the open door of his patrol car and watched the cabin cruiser approach.  He recognized the blue shirt the pilot was wearing as one of his own and as the cruiser slowed, Nobody could see a green face beneath the baseball cap that was trying to disguise it.

            Nobody leaned into the car and lifted the radio to call in to his station house.  While he relayed the information about Ruffington’s apprehension and their location so that someone could come for the stolen cruiser, Mikey jumped onto the dock to tie the craft off.

            Dressed in oversized pants and a baggy, hooded sweatshirt, Mikey was completely indiscernible.  He finished his task and then waited for Nobody to complete his call.

            Walking over to join Mikey, Nobody glanced around, noting that the pier they were on was fairly deserted.  It was why he’d chosen this one for their meeting place; the nearby processing plant had closed two years previously and was unoccupied.  Fishermen bypassed the pier in favor of one where they could sell their catch and the only people who used it now were locals fishing for their dinner.

            Nobody’s outstretched hand was grasped firmly and the unmistakable twinkle of Mikey’s eyes shown from beneath the hoodie.

            “I heard you nearly got yourself shot while catching Ruffington,” Nobody said.

            “He caught me, you mean,” Mikey said with a laugh.  “We just turned the tables on him.”

            “Ruffington never was very smart,” Nobody said, watching as Raph brought the man in question up on deck.

            The satisfied look and the smile on Raph’s face was a telling counterpoint to the expression on Ruffington’s.  With his hands tied behind his back, his clothes in disarray, his broken glasses askew, and his face and body covered in assorted bruises, Ruffington was a sorry sight.

            “The bruises are all several hours old,” Raph said with a wide grin.  “We didn’t want anyone ta accuse ya’ of police brutality.”

            “How considerate of you,” Nobody said.

            Raph shrugged and then easily lifted Ruffington over the railing and down to Mikey, who set the man on his feet in front of Nobody.

            “I was feeling generous,” Raph explained.

            Ruffington was staring at Nobody as if he’d seen a ghost.  “You!” he exclaimed.  “You’re that vigilante!”

            Nobody looked at him with distaste. “I’m a police officer; a good one.  You should be thankful for that considering the fact that you’ve made a lot of enemies and burned a lot of bridges in the process.”

            A cunning expression crossed Ruffington’s face.  “I know your secret identity now Officer Longer.  It’s going to be damn hard to function as a cop and as that Justice Force vigilante once the word is out.  Every thug, hood, and gang member in the city will paint a target on your back.”

            Mikey looked startled and Raph set a foot on the cruiser’s railing as though preparing to jump down.  Nobody lifted a hand in the air to stop the Turtle and shook his head in disgust.

            “Your credibility is shot, Ruffington,” Nobody told him.  “No one is going to believe anything you say; they’ll think you were making it up so you could gain back their favor.  The underworld has you pegged as a rat and a back stabber.  As for the authorities, they’ll believe what Silver Sentry tells them, and I can guarantee he’ll pronounce you to be as big a liar as everyone thinks that you are.”

            With that, Nobody pulled out a set of handcuffs and nodded at Mikey, who used his belt blade to cut the ropes from Ruffington’s wrists.  The solid sound of the cuffs clicking into place made Nobody smile in satisfaction.  Leading Ruffington to the patrol car, Nobody opened the back door and pushed his prisoner inside, slamming the door with finality.

            Walking back to where the Turtle brothers were waiting, Nobody tipped his hat back on his head and grinned at them.  All signs of animosity were gone from Raphael’s countenance and Nobody knew that they were once more in a good place.

            “Did Leo head back to the lair?” Mikey asked.

            “No, actually he’s on a nearby rooftop observing us through binoculars,” Nobody said.  “He’s still watching my back but I think he also wanted to enjoy seeing Ruffington apprehended.”

            “I guess tonight ya’ can tell him all about the booking procedure and how Ruffington screamed his head off for a lawyer,” Raph said with a laugh.

            “Do you two think it would be okay for me to steal Leo away from the family again?” Nobody asked teasingly.

            “If ya’ only needed one night together, then ya’ ain’t doing something right,” Raph said with a snort before heading for the cruiser’s stern.

            While Raph pulled the Justice Force launch close enough so that he and Mikey could climb into it, Mikey asked, “Ruffington can’t really cause you any problems if he starts telling people that you’re Nobody, can he?”

            “No,” Nobody assured him.  “Prisoners make all sorts of claims when they’re being booked; just in the last two weeks we’ve had a dozen different officers accused of being Nobody, including the chief of police.  They all claim they have proof and they’ll produce it if we give them a get out of jail free card.  It’s becoming a departmental joke.”

            “Okay then,” Mikey said before jogging over to the launch and hopping in.

            Raph untied the mooring line from the cruiser’s rail and leaped lightly into the launch next to his brother.  Mikey tossed the vigilante a sharp salute as the launch pulled away and then picked up speed so that the brothers would be out of sight before the authorities arrived.

            Nobody walked back over to his car and glanced skyward, looking in Leo’s direction.  He couldn’t see the young ninja, but he knew that Leo could see him.  Offering his lover a wide smile, Nobody took off his hat and tossed it onto the passenger seat before climbing in behind the wheel.

            He was checking his onboard computer to see how long it would be before his backup arrived when Nobody heard the loud screech of tires.  Looking into his rear view mirror, Nobody saw two black sedans turn onto the dock.

            Starting his engine, Nobody sent the car into reverse, twisting the steering wheel quickly to turn the car before slamming the gears into drive.  The sedans spun to intercept him, both stopping to block Nobody’s only exit.

            Nobody hit the brakes and the car skid sideways, coming to a stop against one of the sedans.  Grabbing for his radio, Nobody looked up to see a gun pointed right at his face.

            The man on the other end of the gun pounded on the hood of Nobody’s car, shouting, “Put the radio down right now!”

            Lifting both of his hands to show the man that he didn’t have a weapon, Nobody let the radio slide off of his palm.  Another man raced up to the police car and wrenched the driver’s door open, yanking Nobody out by his shirt collar.

            A third man pulled open the back door, grabbed a handful of Ruffington’s hair, and hauled the man out, tossing him to the ground.  Ruffington rolled onto his back and moved to sit up, but a gun barrel aimed directly at him made him rethink that idea.

            The back door of one of the sedans opened and Hun stepped out.

            Nobody heard Ruffington’s low whimper at the sight of the behemoth.  Keeping his hands up so as not to excite the thug who was pointing a gun at his temple, Officer Longer watched Hun walk up to Ruffington.

            “Police band radios are a costly investment,” Hun said, “but damn well worth every penny.  Look what we have here; I think this is the cowardly traitor who stole my money.”

            “Hun!” Ruffington yelped, “It’s all a misunderstanding, I promise you!  Let me explain!”

            “You’ll get a chance to do just that, Ruffington,” Hun said.  “You’re going to tell me where my money is, even if I have to strip off pieces of your skin to get the information.”

            “I haven’t got it!” Ruffington wailed.  “Ask him where the money is; that’s the Justice Force dark vigilante.  He and those meddling turtles have everything!”

            “Oh really?” Hun said, looking over at the cop.  “Are you that caped freak who calls himself Nobody?”

            Nobody laughed once.  “Me and about thirty of my fellow officers.  This is pointless, Hun, backup will be here any minute and you are even less popular than Ruffington.”

            “Since you seem to know who I am, then I’m guessing you know my reputation,” Hun said.  “If you’re suggesting I should leave without Ruffington, you can forget it.  We have some unfinished business and somehow I get the distinct feeling you might be useful.”

            “Kidnapping a corrupt businessman isn’t the same as kidnapping a police officer,” Nobody warned.  “The law takes that very personally.”

            “I’ll take my chances,” Hun said, nodding at one of his men.

            The man pulled Ruffington to his feet and then over to Hun’s car, shoving him into the back.  Jogging around to the other side of the car, he climbed into the passenger seat and the driver rolled down his window.

            “Pop the trunk,” Hun called.

            The trunk sprang open and one of Hun’s men yanked Nobody’s arms down behind his back, tying them together swiftly.  With a hard push, Nobody was forced towards the rear of Hun’s car.

            “Sorry for the accommodations,” Hun said sarcastically, “it’s the best I can do for New York’s finest.”

            With a harsh chuckle, Hun climbed in beside Ruffington while his men lifted Nobody into the trunk, slamming the lid once the man was tucked inside.

            Leo rushed around the corner, reaching the dock just as Hun’s cars began to speed away.  After he’d seen Nobody get blocked in, Leo had run as fast as he could to reach his lover, but the Turtle had been too far away.

            Now the cars were racing off, trying to beat the sirens that announced the arrival of Nobody’s backup.  Running after Hun’s car, Leo knew he wouldn’t be able to catch them.

            Reaching into his belt, Leo extracted a tiny tracking bug and one of his throwing spikes.  The magnetic bug clung strongly to the spike and Leo took careful aim as he ran, letting the spike fly.

            With unerring accuracy, Leo embedded the spike in the bumper of Hun’s car.  In another minute, the car disappeared from view and Leo changed direction, seeking the shelter of a nearby rooftop in order to avoid being seen.

            Taking a moment to catch his breath, Leo dug out his shell cell.

            Raph answered immediately.  _“Hey, Leo!  Did ya’ see Nobody snap the cuffs on Ruffington?”_

            “We have a problem,” Leo said harshly.  “Where are you?”

            _“At the JF building,”_ Raph said.  _“What kind of problem?”_

            “A big one,” Leo answered, his voice as grim as Raph had ever heard.

            _“Tell me,”_ Raph said and listened with growing concern as Leo proceeded to do so.


	96. JF96 Redemption

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 3,334  
> Rated: R  
> Summary: A high speed car chase in pursuit of Hun and his kidnapping victims proves dangerous and tricky.

            The Justice Force launch floated up as close to a stretch of beach as it could and then Tsunami held it in place by use of his powers rather than a conventional anchor.  Raph and Mikey scanned the area trying to locate Leo, who had said he would meet them there.

            Flashing lights and the siren of a police car startled them both, sending the brothers diving to the bottom of the craft out of instinct.  The car sped along the beach, stopping a few yards from where the water lapped at the sand.

            Tsunami recognized the driver just as the door opened.  “Raphael, it’s your brother Leonardo.”

            Raph’s head came up so that he could peer over the side of the boat and felt Mikey’s breath on his shoulder as his younger brother did likewise.

            “Raph!  Mikey!  Get in the car!” Leo shouted.

            The words were hardly out of his mouth when a water slide lifted Raph, Mikey, and Nano from the launch and delivered them to the passenger side of the vehicle.  Raph jumped into the front seat next to his brother, while Nano and Mikey crawled into the back.

            Leo shot off across the sand almost before the doors were shut.  He took his hand from the steering wheel briefly to toss his shell cell to Raph, who caught it deftly.

            “Navigate for me,” Leo said as he concentrated on pulling the car back onto the paved road.

            Raph glanced down at the phone and saw a map of the city streets.  A small red dot was traveling over them; the signal sent by the tracking device that Leo had embedded in the bumper of Hun’s car.

            “He’s still on 9A,” Raph said before glancing at his brother.  “What’s the idea of the car?”

            “I road with Nobody until we were a few blocks from the pier,” Leo answered, maneuvering the police car onto the highway and dodging other vehicles skillfully as he increased his speed.  “When they grabbed Nobody they left the patrol car sitting where it was and it seemed the fastest way for me to follow them.”

            “Might be fast, but it’s also damn conspicuous,” Raph said, then added, “Nice hat.”

            The police hat Leo wore shadowed his face but Raph still saw the quick smile that flitted across Leo’s features.  “If I drive fast enough maybe people will remember the hat and not the mutated green figure wearing it.”

            Raph tugged at the visor on his baseball cap.  “The way you’re driving, the only thing they’re gonna remember is how ya’ nearly gave ‘em a heart attack.”

            As if to prove his point, Leo jerked the wheel to the left and practically skimmed off the bumper of the car in front of him, barely managing not to clip the car he’d just passed.  Both drivers honked as the police unit zoomed away from them and Raph lowered his window to shout, “Lights and sirens, assholes!”

            Nano leaned close to Mikey and said in a low voice, “At this rate of speed and given the air current, it is not possible for those drivers to have heard Raphael.  Yet he shouted at them anyway.  Can you explain?”

            Mikey grinned.  “Yeah, Raph’s a hothead and since he can’t hit those people, yelling at them is the only way he can let off steam.  It doesn’t matter whether they can hear him or not.”

            “Ah, emotional frustration,” Nano said.  “I have not had the opportunity to study anger with any frequency; you do not get mad.”

            Mikey latched onto the back of Raph’s seat to keep from sliding across the car as his brother careened through traffic.  “Oh, I can get mad, Nano,” Mikey said with a laugh.  “But if you really want to learn from a master, keep your eyes on Raph.”

            “Shut up, nut ball,” Raph growled without taking his eyes off the tracking blip.  “Ya’ got some kind of plan for when ya’ catch up ta them?” he asked Leo.

            “It would be nice if Hun pulled over,” Leo said.

            “Right.  Fat chance that’s gonna happen.  What’s plan B?” Raph asked.

            “Force his car off the road,” Leo said grimly.

            “There’s a good chance somebody in one or both of these cars is gonna get hurt if you do that,” Mikey observed.

            “We’ll pull up alongside them and Raph will take the wheel while I jump on the hood of Hun’s car and persuade his driver to stop,” Leo said as he swerved between another set of slow moving vehicles.

            “Raph will not,” the Turtle in question stated most emphatically.  “If anybody’s gonna pull a crazy ass stunt like that, it’s gonna be me.  Ya’ stay behind the wheel and keep this thing aimed straight ahead.”

            “If that were Tsunami in the trunk of Hun’s car . . . .” Leo started to say.

            “Yeah, yeah, I’d try ta do something insane and you’d come up with a better plan,” Raph said.  “We’re both capable of trying ta get ourselves killed, it just so happens that this time you’re behind the wheel and swapping places don’t make sense.”

            “If I may make a suggestion,” Nano interposed, “I would be the most logical choice for leaping from a moving vehicle.  Whereas the three of you could be injured, I have no biological components and am therefore immune to damage.”

            “Nano could just take Hun’s car apart,” Mikey added.  “He could bring it to a safe stop and strip it faster than a car thief works over a Mercedes.”

            Leo and Raph exchanged glances and then Leo said, “All right, that makes the best sense.  Just remember the passengers inside the car are moving at the same rate of speed as the car; if the car suddenly disintegrates, the passengers will still be moving.”

            “I will be circumspect,” Nano said.  “The car will be slowed to a stop before I make it disappear.”

            “They might turn off before we catch them and take a boat,” Leo said.  “They’re staying within sight of the water.”

            “I thought of that,” Raph said.  “That’s why Tsunami stayed on the launch with Ananda.”

            “I gave Ana my phone so she could track Hun’s car too,” Mikey said.

            A driver honked his car horn loudly as Leo crowded him into the breakdown lane and Leo grimaced.  “One of these guys is going to get mad enough to call in a complaint.  We aren’t going to be able to stay in this car for long; other officers are bound to take up the pursuit.”

            As if on cue the radio crackled to life.  _“Car 347 what’s your 20?”_

            Raph snorted.  “Ya’ just had ta jinx it didn’t ya’?”

            “It was bound to happen,” Leo argued.

            “Somebody better answer or they’ll send helicopters after us,” Mikey warned.

            “You’re good at imitations,” Raph told Leo.  “Say something.”

            Leo reached over and grabbed the mike, sped around another slow moving car, and then cleared his throat before rocking the switch to the talk position.

            In an almost perfect imitation of Nobody’s voice, Leo answered, “Car 347 10-80, in pursuit southbound . . . .” when he reached that point he curled his tongue towards the back of his mouth and duplicated the sound of heavy static, before lifting his fingers from the transmit button.

            _“Car 347, please repeat,”_ the dispatcher requested.

            Once more Leo imitated Nobody, beginning his sentence with static and then saying, “. . . . black sedan.”

            Leo stopped speaking then, replacing the mike and switching the radio off.

            “That ain’t gonna buy us much time,” Raph said sarcastically.  “This damn thing probably has a gps in it.”

            “I wasn’t trying to stop the other police, I just don’t want them focused on us,” Leo said.  “If they think I’ve got radio problems, they won’t worry too much about who is actually driving this car.”

            “Like a giant green turtle wearing a fellow officer’s hat,” Mikey said.

            Raph grinned.  “Speaking of that hat, do ya’ think ya’ could score a set of handcuffs ta go with it?  I might even let ya’ ‘arrest’ me,” he said suggestively.

            Leo’s eyes shot over to him and then back to the road.  “Are you going to show up wearing blue spandex?” he asked in return.

            Raph laughed but didn’t get a chance to answer because Nano interrupted them.  “I believe I see the black sedan you are pursuing.”

            Ahead of them two black sedans cruised side by side, but as Leo drew close, one of the sedans slowed until the other passed it, and then switched lanes to get right behind the lead car.

            “Bodyguards?” Raph asked.

            “Yes,” Leo answered grimly.  “I guess Hun’s men aren’t going to let us near him.”

            Deftly twisting the wheel, Leo tried to speed past the blocker, but the sedan immediately careened into his lane to cut him off.  Shoving down on the gas pedal, Leo pushed the police unit right up against their bumper and tapped it lightly.  Just as they connected, Leo hit the brakes and spun the steering wheel again in an attempt to pass.

            As the nose of the police car came even with the back passenger door of the sedan, the window on the other car rolled down and the barrel of a shotgun appeared.

            “Shit!” Raph yelled, grabbing the emergency strap in order to brace himself.

            Leo slammed on the brakes and pulled the police car back behind the blocker just as the shotgun blasted.  Nano enveloped Mikey’s body with his own, holding his lover in place and providing him with protective armor simultaneously.

            Because of Leo’s quick action, the shotgun round just grazed the front bumper of the police unit, the remainder of the load missing them.  Leo glanced into the rearview mirror quickly before pulling his attention back to the sedan.

            “That shot didn’t hit any other car,” Leo said through tight lips.

            “He’s using a pump action,” Raph said, “and he’s gonna be able ta reload fast.  Ya’ might be able ta keep dodging him, but he’s bound ta hit a civilian at some point.”

            “I can’t let Hun get away,” Leo responded with a note of desperation in his voice.

            “Stay right behind him,” Raph said.  “Stick ta his bumper like glue.  If that guy pokes his head out again, tap the bumper.”

            Leo nodded and accelerated, coming within inches of the sedan’s bumper.  He matched the sedan’s speed and every maneuver its driver attempted, move for move.

            Each time the gunman leaned out of the window, Leo bumped their car with his, jolting the man hard enough so that he pulled back into the sedan.

            “If there weren’t so many other cars on the road, ya’ could just ram that one hard enough ta send him spinning,” Raph said.

            “Dudes,” Mikey called from the back seat as he extricated himself from Nano’s hold.  “What happens if he takes out the back window?”

            Startled, Raph looked over his shoulder at his younger brother, then back at Leo.  As if to suit the action to the words, the back window of the sedan suddenly shattered.

            Leo slammed his foot on the brake pedal so hard he was lifted from the seat.  The police unit skid forward, leaving a black trail on the pavement, and the front windshield disintegrated into a pile of busted glass.

            Raph’s seatbelt locked him into place, but the sudden shock pushed the air out of his lungs.  Mikey received less of a jolt as Nano cocooned his body in a protective layer of nanobots.

            Bouncing back into his seat, Leo pressed down on the accelerator and raced after the vanishing sedan again.

            Shaking the loose glass off his legs, Raph said, “The only reason we didn’t get hit by shot was because two windshields took the power out of ‘em.  The next time we ain’t gonna be so lucky.”

            “Even if the next shot misses us, I don’t think these other cars will,” Mikey observed as he watched their car whizz past numerous civilian vehicles.

            “These damn people ain’t even slowing down for the siren,” Raph grumbled.  “No wonder police chases are so fucking dangerous.”

            “If I fall back and just wait for them to reach their destination, they might decide they don’t need Nobody anymore,” Leo said.

            Suddenly Nano was swarming into the front seat, over the dashboard, and onto the hood of the car.  His body flattened into a makeshift windshield, with an opening just wide enough for Leo to see through.

            “Your original plan will work,” Nano said.  “Get close to that sedan once more and if they shoot, my nanobots will absorb the blast.  I will move from this car to theirs and remove it from the equation.”

            “Agreed,” Leo said, accelerating quickly.

            They drew within sight of the body guard’s sedan and the man holding the shotgun unleashed another round at the police unit.  Nano’s body nullified the effectiveness of the shot as Leo brought the police car right up against the sedan’s bumper.

            Another blast from the shotgun vanished into the nanobots and then Nano streamed across the hood of the police car and onto the trunk of the sedan.

            Mikey sat forward to watch as the upper chassis of the sedan began to dematerialize.  Leo braked slightly and changed lanes, confident that Nano was dealing with both the shotgun and the inhabitants of the sedan.

            The police unit swept past the sedan and then Leo punched the accelerator.  Mikey turned to look out of the back window, grinning as the sedan completely vanished.  The last thing he saw before an incline got in the way was Nano carrying four struggling forms off to the side of the road.

            The wind from the opening where the windshield once was whipped around all three occupants as Leo raced towards Hun’s sedan.

            “He’s taking the Bay Ridge exit ramp,” Raph said, his eyes glued to the tracker.

            Leo shot across three lanes of traffic, his tires spinning up smoke as he braked hard to make the same exit.  The curve was slight as the exit ramp dipped slightly and then merged onto a less congested thruway.

            They could all see the other sedan just ahead of them.  As Leo sped up to catch it, the unmistakable sounds of a helicopter reached their ears.

            “I think the real police are trying to join this party,” Mikey sang out.

            “Get close ta them!” Raph shouted as he began to remove his seat belt.  “I’ll jump out and smash my way through the glass.”

            A quick _‘pop, pop, pop’_ from the sedan forced Leo to jerk the police unit into another lane, throwing Raph against the door.  Mikey lunged forward and grabbed the edge of Raph’s carapace, pulling him back against the seat.

            “Gun,” Leo announced in a deep voice.

            “Really?” Raph said sarcastically.  “No shit, I would never have guessed.  Dammit, I hate fucking guns but I’m gonna use Nobody’s shotgun and blow out their damn tires.”

            Raph reached for the shotgun strapped onto the floorboards and one of Leo’s hands lashed out to stop him.

            “Nobody’s in the trunk,” Leo said harshly.  “You might hit him.”

            “What are ya’ gonna do?” Raph asked.  “My guess is we got less than five minutes before we’re surrounded by police cars.  Once they get a look at us they ain’t gonna pay any attention ta Hun.  He’ll get away and we’ll be featured on the nightly news.”

            Leo’s jaw set purposefully.  “I’m going to get in front of him and slam on my brakes.”

            Raph scrambled to lock himself back into his seatbelt, seeing from the look on Leo’s face there was no point in arguing.  He could hear Mikey in the backseat mumbling something under his breath, but didn’t bother to ask for a repeat.

            Just as Leo began to push the police unit to a higher rate of speed, a bright light from overhead nearly blinded them.  Since it was daylight, they knew it couldn’t be the searchlight from the police helicopter, and Raph leaned forward to look through the broken windshield.

            “Holy shit, it’s Chrysalis!” Raph shouted.

            Hovering in the air above them, Chrysalis’ wings spread widely, the brightness of her power forcing the police helicopter to veer off.  Leo pulled his foot off the gas pedal, falling back from Hun’s sedan as the glow from Chrysalis’ eyes swept outwards across her body.

            The power of her psychic telekinesis caught the sedan and lifted it from the road.  Piece by piece, Chrysalis began to dismantle the vehicle, dropping the body onto the road once the wheels were gone.

            Leo braked quickly, spinning the steering wheel so that the car slid sideways, coming to an abrupt stop.  Just as the Turtles jumped out of the car, the sedan’s trunk popped open and Nobody rolled out onto the pavement.

            As he struggled with the zip tie that was holding his arms behind his back, one of Hun’s men raced around the car and grabbed him.  Yanking Nobody to his feet, the man shoved a gun against his shoulder, using him as a shield.

            Two other men leaped out of Hun’s sedan, each of them waving guns.  The sedan continued to fall apart on the road and one of the thugs began shooting at Chrysalis.

            With a quick flurry of wings, Chrys dodged the bullets and then sent one of the car doors flying, slamming it into the gunman.  As he sprawled unconscious on the pavement, Nobody threw himself sideways, kicking out at the legs of the thug who’d been holding him.

            The man’s gun went off as he fell, and the three Turtle’s ducked behind the police car’s open doors.  Before the man could grab his gun again, the heel of Nobody’s shoe connected with the side of his head and knocked him out.

            Another police helicopter appeared, joining the first, and Chrysalis swiftly flew down to the ground to join her colleague.  The third thug tracked her with his gun but before he could fire, Raph pegged his shooting hand with a shuriken.

            Leo raced over to Nobody, drawing a katana as he ran.  Reaching his lover, Leo sliced through the thick plastic binding his wrists together.

            “Ruffington,” Nobody gasped out as his numb arms fell to his sides.

            Looking up, Leo saw Mikey and Raph standing next to what was left of Hun’s sedan.  Both were looking across the highway and Leo rushed over to join them.

            “Where’s Hun?” Leo asked, seeing that the vehicle was empty.

            “He hauled Ruffington out of the car and across the dividing fence,” Raph said.

            “Hun jumped out in front of a car and when the driver stopped, he yanked the poor guy out of it and took off,” Mikey explained.

            “Hun escaped with Ruffington?” Nobody asked as he and Chrysalis joined the three brothers.

            “I’m afraid so,” Raph answered.

            Sirens heralded the fast approach of police vehicles and Nobody looked at Leo.

            “You and your brothers need to get out of here,” Nobody said.  “Chrys and I can deal with the police.  I’ll get the manhunt for Hun and his captive started.”

            Chrysalis was holding her communicator as she told them, “Nano found a car on the side of the road and he’s coming to pick you up.  He said he’ll meet you on the little road just on the other side of that grassy incline.”

            She pointed to a side road that ran parallel to the highway.  The Turtles started in that direction but Leo stopped for just a moment to look back.

            “Chrysalis, how did you know?” Leo asked.

            “Nano told Ana what was happening and she called me,” Chrys said.  “She figured you guys might need aerial support.”

            “Thank you,” Leo said simply.

            Chrys blushed.  “I owed you guys.”

            Leo smiled and then raced to join his brothers, all three disappearing over the embankment just as police and emergency vehicles pulled up to the scene.


	97. JF97 Faustian Bargain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 3,128  
> Rated: R  
> Summary: In an attempt to save Ruffington's life, Leo makes a distasteful decision.

            Raph paced the kitchen, the occasional growl of frustration slipping past his lips.  Leaning against the countertop, Tsunami watched him while bouncing a small ball of water from hand to hand.

            A police band radio sat in the center of the kitchen table, the sound low but not off.  Seated around the table were Leo, Mikey, and Nobody.  Ana and Nano were in Don’s lab, using one of his computers in an attempt to hack into Hun’s financial records as they searched for some clue as to where the big man might have gone.

            It was coming on to dusk outside, but the mood in the lair had been dark for hours.  Hun had abandoned the car he’d stolen just after his escape with Ruffington and both of the men had vanished.

            The Purple Dragons who worked for Hun had turned into clams, refusing to talk to the police.  They were being held without bail on a number of charges, not the least of which was interfering with a police officer in the performance of his duty.  Kidnapping said police officer certainly fell into that category.

            Nobody sipped the coffee that Mikey had made for him, his expression relaxed, but Leo could see tiny signs of tension in his lover’s body language.  The man had followed police procedure when he’d gone to retrieve Ruffington from Raph and Mikey, but his superiors had nevertheless held him for hours while running through the morning’s events.

            The all-points bulletin that the police had issued for the apprehension of both Ruffington and now Hun had turned up absolutely nothing.

            “How does a guy Hun’s size manage ta disappear like this?” Raph asked.  “Ain’t it dark enough outside for us ta do some hunting, Leo?  I’m tired of being cooped up in here while that giant walking asshole laughs at us behind our backs.”

            “Wait another hour, okay Raph?” Leo requested, his voice even.  “The only people who’d be able to answer your questions won’t be on the streets until at least then.”

            Raph stopped pacing and sat down next to his oldest brother.  “I’m glad ya’ ain’t giving me any shit about going out.”

            Leo shrugged and then gave Raph a rare smile.  “There are places where we can search that the police can’t,” he said.  “Can I please ask that you don’t go alone?”

            “I’ll get Casey ta help,” Raph said, and when Tsunami cleared his throat, Raph hastily added, “Tsu will go with me too.  He needs me ta hold his hand so he don’t get lost.”

            “Yes, without Raphael’s _hand_ , I surely would not know what to do with myself,” Tsunami said with a grin.

            Raph ignored the innuendo but Mikey rewarded Tsunami with a chuckle.  It was nice to have someone else around who understood how much fun it was to tease Raphael out of his bad moods.

            “Didn’t ya’ say that Ruffington told Hun he didn’t have the money?” Raph asked Nobody.

            “He did; Ruffington said that we took everything,” Nobody said.

            “Then Hun should’ve popped up hours ago minus Ruffington,” Raph said with assurance.  “There’s no way Hun would’ve held onto a wanted fugitive who he couldn’t make a profit from.  He’d either turn the man over to the cops ta whitewash himself, or he would’ve bricked up Ruffington’s feet and thrown him in the east river.”

            “Hun is wanted on some very serious charges,” Nobody said.  “Surely he wouldn’t commit murder with investigators already looking into his dealings.”

            “You don’t know Hun,” Leo said, joining the conversation.  “He has very strong political ties leftover from his days working for Oroku Saki.  The local authorities won’t touch him without strong proof that he’s done any of the things you’ve accused him of.  Hun has led his life of crime with impunity from the law.”

            “But not from us, right, Leo?” Raph asked.  “The law might not touch him but he ain’t gonna get ta have it all his way as long as we’re around.”

            “We sure have made his life miserable, haven’t we bro’?” Mikey asked, smiling mischievously.

            “Shell yeah,” Raph said, touching his fist to Mikey’s.

            Nobody leaned forward to better hear a call that was going out over the police band, sighing and sitting back when it didn’t involve Purple Dragons.

            “I told my superiors that they should roust the Dragons until they shook Hun loose from wherever he’s hiding, but they said they hadn’t the manpower for such a big job,” Nobody said.  “Budget cuts and the staffing shortage make it difficult for us to get a proper handle on gang activity.  I suppose it’s like that everywhere, but it’s discouraging as hell,” Nobody said.

            “That’s partly why you became Nobody, isn’t it?” Mikey asked.  “It’s just like with us; we could’ve stayed down here and avoided interacting with humans, but it’s hard to ignore all the bad stuff happening in the city.”

            “Especially when we’re uniquely trained ta handle it,” Raph said, elbowing his older brother.  “Ya’ know, it pisses me off that Hun took Ruffington right out from under us, but that man sure has whatever Hun does coming ta him.  Didn’t some actress say once that if ya’ lie down with dogs, ya’ get up with fleas?  Ruffington picked the wrong damn dog ta get into bed with.”

            “I can’t condone murder though, no matter how appropriate it seems to Ruffington’s crimes,” Nobody said.  “The laws were created by a mandate from the citizens and punishments should be meted out according to their dictates.  We can all play vigilantes to a certain degree because ‘citizen’s arrest’ is a legal means of assisting law enforcement.  Carrying out a sentence is not; it places too much power in one person’s hands.  Power corrupts is a truism; justice must be not only blind but balanced, or civilization ceases to exist.”

            “How does civilization deal with high level corruption?” Raph asked, not argumentative but clearly in the mood to debate the issue.  “Ya’ talk about how power corrupts and there’s a prime example of it.  Ruffington should still be locked up from the last time ya’ busted him, but he bought his way out of jail.  I doubt if your average juror has that in mind when they vote ta put somebody away.”

            “There are holes in every system,” Nobody said.  “Innocent people go to jail; jurors are bribed or threatened, people are paid to commit perjury.  The laws we uphold are sometimes manipulated and before you ask, yes, it’s frustrating.  The human equation is a fluid and volatile factor.  Our legal system isn’t perfect, but its foundation is solid.  We have to focus on that and do the best we can.”

            “And when someone like Ruffington manages ta slither through?” Raph asked.

            “He may not have been jailed as long as he should have been, but he still paid a hefty penalty.  You have to remember that the man was at one time the government’s leading weapons supplier.  Ruffington lost that prestige when he was convicted and being released from prison early didn’t reinstate his standing.  His latest maneuver was idiotic and dangerous, not to mention desperate,” Nobody explained.

            “Karma,” Leo said.  “What you send out into the universe comes back to you tenfold.  You have to believe that or the ‘what ifs’ will drive you crazy.”

            “That doesn’t mean you can’t ask the question,” Mikey said.  “So what if Hun killed Ruffington?  Do we leave it at that or try to help the police find some proof?  And when is karma gonna hit Hun on his big, wide, empty forehead?  He always manages to stay out of jail.”

            “Hun may avoid jail, but he doesn’t avoid all the repercussions of his actions,” Leo said.  “He can never be truly comfortable or happy because if he lets his guard down, someone in his organization will be there to take advantage.  That’s the price he pays every day.  I personally wouldn’t want to live like that.”

            “In answer to your question, Michelangelo, I will be concentrating my efforts on Hun and his organization, whether or not he’s killed Ruffington,” Nobody said.

            “His Purple Dragons have become as big a nuisance on the docks as the mob,” Tsunami said.  “Personally I would be quite happy to have them destroy one another if not for the innocent lives that would be caught in the crossfire.”

            Nobody chuckled.  “Tsunami shares your views on the desirability of having the jackals eat one another, Raphael.”

            “Yeah, maybe he ain’t a total loss,” Raph quipped, glancing sideways at his lover.

            Tsunami lifted an eyebrow.  “Ah, Raphael, your wit sustains me.”

            “If we find Ruffington is still alive then it has to be us that gets him, right Leo?” Mikey asked, hanging on to his original thought.  “’Cause Nobody needs to be the one to bring him in.”

            “Yes,” Leo agreed, his eyes on Nobody.  “Officer Longer will have the honor of delivering Ruffington into police custody once more.”

            It was then that Ana dashed into the kitchen, followed closely by Nano.  On her face was an expression of both excitement and caution.

            “Hun covered his tracks well, but I think Nano and I may have found something,” Ana said.  “It isn’t much, just a phone number.  The cell phone wasn’t active, but I managed to turn it on remotely and activate the GPS.  The phone is at an address on West 35th street.”

            “That is an area of better class brownstones,” Nobody said.  “Not a location the police would expect to find Hun.”

            Leo stood up, followed quickly by the others.  “We’ll check it anyway.  Ana, can you stay here and keep track of that signal?  If it starts to move let us know immediately.”

            “Will do,” Ananda said.  “I’ll relay through Nano, our connection is much faster and more silent than a phone.”

            The other six crime fighters rode the elevator to the Turtle’s garage.  Mikey took the wheel of the battle shell and Nano climbed into the passenger seat next to him.  Nobody got into the back and just as Leo was about to join him, Raph tapped his brother on the shoulder.

            “I’m gonna take my motorcycle,” Raph said.  “That’ll give us more maneuverability.  Tsu will ride with me.”

            “Good idea,” Leo said, watching as his brother tossed a helmet to Tsunami and then strapped one on himself.

            The battle shell roared out of the garage, followed closely by Raph.  Nano navigated for Mikey, finding the shortest route to their destination.  They were a good two blocks away from the address Ana had found when Mikey slid into a parking space at the curb, shutting off his lights.  Raph pulled his motorcycle into an alley and a few seconds later he and Tsunami joined the others inside the battle shell.

            “Ana says the signal has remained stationary,” Nano told them.

            “Has she found out anything about the house?  Who it belongs to; is it currently occupied?” Leo asked.

            “She has discovered that the residence is owned by a subsidiary of one of Oroku Saki’s companies,” Nano answered.  “There is no tenant of record at the moment.”

            “Must be one of the perks from Hun’s time working for the Shredder,” Mikey said.

            “Let’s make sure we aren’t bursting in on some innocent family,” Leo said.  “Nano, can you get into the house without being seen?”

            “Quite easily, Leonardo,” Nano said.

            “Here’s what we’ll do,” Leo said.  “Nano will go inside and verify that the house isn’t occupied.  If someone lives there we’ll need to know if Hun is a guest or is holding them against their will.  Tsunami will remain across the street in hiding to keep watch on the house and the surrounding homes.  Nobody, you should go around back in case Hun shows up there.  Raph, Mikey, and I will hit the rooftops.  If something spooks Hun and he makes a run for it, I want him completely covered.”

            “Our lines of communication should remain open,” Nobody added.  “Report anything unusual; a car slowing as it nears the house and then speeding away, someone appearing on the street and loitering; anything at all.”

            “We’ll decide how to proceed once we’ve determined whether or not Hun is inside,” Leo said.

            “Perhaps I should search for Ruffington as well?” Nano asked.

            “Yes, do that, but try not to let anyone know you’re there,” Leo said.

            “I shall be discretion itself,” Nano said.

            Together the group left the battle shell and separated.  Leo and Raph headed up to the rooftops next to their target brownstone, while Mikey took up a position on the roof of the house across the street.

            Mikey watched Nano go down the stairs to the basement entrance.  There were no lights on in the house or above any of the doors, but a nearby streetlight allowed Mikey to see Nano change from his solid form in order to slide through the keyhole and into the house.

            Looking across the street, Mikey offered the thumbs up signal to his brothers to let them know Nano was inside.  Leo patted the air with an open palm and Mikey squatted down to wait as directed.

            In just a few minutes Mikey’s shell cell buzzed and he quickly answered it.

            “What did you find?” Mikey asked in a whisper.

            “The house is empty, Michelangelo,” Nano said.  “There is no one inside and only a few pieces of furniture.  From the amount of dust and cobwebs that have settled, this house has been unoccupied for some time.  There are signs that someone was here recently; the clearest indicator of that are footprints in the dust, some of which are quite large.”

            “Do you see the phone anywhere?” Mikey asked.

            “It is not in this building,” Nano said.  “That is very strange.”

            “Stay where you are while I let Leo know what you found,” Mikey said.  “I’ll call you when he decides what we should do next.”

            “Very well,” Nano responded.

            Mikey swiftly punched in the number that would connect him to Leo’s shell cell, watching as Leo lifted the phone to his ear.

            “What did Nano find?” Leo asked, skipping the preliminaries.

            “The place is deserted bro’,” Mikey said.  “No furniture, no people, and no phone.  Just a bunch of dust and a few of what are probably Hun’s big footprints.”

            Leo glanced at Raph, who was close enough to hear what Mikey was saying.  “Maybe the signal is off and Hun’s in one of these other houses,” Leo said.

            “So let’s tell the others and . . . .”  Raph’s sentence was interrupted by a loud ringing sound.  “What the shell?” he asked, looking around.

            “I’ll call you back, Mikey,” Leo said, putting his phone away as he crossed the roof behind Raph, both of them searching for the source of the ringing.

            The sound was almost continuous, broken uniformly by a second of silence after each long tone, and was obviously coming from a phone.  Leo located it first and tentatively lifted it as Raph joined him.

            Leo took a breath and then flipped up the covering in order to answer the call, but said nothing as he waited.

            “Hello!” Hun’s voice boomed out over the cell phone.  “Am I talking to one of those costumed freaks or one of those turtle freaks?”

            “You’re the only freak I know of,” Raph growled.

            “This is Leonardo, Hun,” Leo said, shaking his head in Raph’s direction.  “What have you done with Ruffington?”

            “Bet you think I offed him, don’t you?” Hun asked, the humor evident in his voice.  “Think again; he’s still alive, but for how much longer is dependent on you.”

            “What do you want?” Leo asked.

            “No beating around the bush, I like that,” Hun said.  “What I want is my money.  I used the lie detector in my fists to determine that Ruffington was telling the truth when he said the Justice Force took everything.  He told me there was a thumb drive inside that briefcase and on it are the numbers to some Swiss bank accounts.  I hope you still have it.”

            Leo grimaced and said, “No, it was turned over to the authorities almost immediately.  It had been in the water for some time thanks to you.”

            “’Almost immediately’ huh?” Hun said.  “Well too bad, I guess Ruffington ain’t gonna be required as a bargaining chip.”

            “Wait,” Leo said urgently.  “Don’t kill him.”

            “I wasn’t going to, at least not right away,” Hun said.  “Give me a good reason why I shouldn’t.”

            “Donatello cleaned that thumb drive before we gave it to the police,” Leo said.  “He was afraid the information on it would be corrupted by the water if it wasn’t taken care of immediately.  You know Donatello.”

            “Yeah, I know him.  Are you telling me he made a copy?” Hun asked.

            “He didn’t make a copy, but he did see all of the numbers,” Leo said.  “So how about a trade; Ruffington alive and well, for the numbers to those bank accounts.”

            “Big deal, your brother saw some numbers,” Hun said.  “What the hell good does that do me?”

            “I thought you said you knew Donatello,” Leo said.  “Don has an eidetic memory, he can recall with perfect accuracy every one of those numbers.”

            There was a pause on the other end of the line, and then Hun said, “How do I know he won’t lie?”

            “You have my word of honor,” Leo said rather stiffly.

            Raph was staring at his brother, his lips a thin line of disapproval, but he refrained from saying anything.

            “All right,” Hun said, his voice low and smooth.  “Let’s just make sure we understand each other.  I deliver Ruffington to you, alive and walking on his own two feet, and Donatello gives me _all_ of the bank account numbers.  No tricks of any kind on either side; you Turtles and your Justice Force pals don’t try to grab me or follow me.  In exchange I don’t shoot Ruffington in his worthless back.  Deal?”

            “Deal,” Leo said.  “Where do you want to meet?”

            Hun chuckled.  “Keep the phone and I’ll call you.  Try not to get impatient; I don’t like you and you don’t like me but this is a business deal.  Later.”

            The phone went silent and Leo slowly closed the top before looking at Raph.

            “Did I have a choice?” Leo asked.

            “I guess not,” Raph said grudgingly.  “Your boyfriend ain’t gonna like it much, but at least he’ll get his hands on Ruffington.”

            “One problem at a time, right bro’?” Leo asked.

            “Yeah,” Raph answered.  “Come on and gather up your troops, I’ve got a feeling this is gonna be a long, painful night.  Seems we just made a deal with the Devil.”


	98. JF98 The Trade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 2,878  
> Rated: R  
> Summary: It's time for a trade and everything depends on just how trustworthy Hun can be.

            Leo was seated on the couch, a cup of lukewarm tea in his hand.  On the coffee table in front of him was the phone that Hun had left for the Turtles to find.

            A slight sound came from behind him but Leo didn’t bother to turn since he recognized the footsteps.  In another second Raph walked around to the front of the couch and stood looking down at him.

            “Where’d ya’ leave Nobody?” Raph asked.

            With a tip of his head, Leo indicated the upper floor.  “In my room sleeping.  I got in a couple of hours while he sat with the phone, now it’s my turn.  Where is everyone?”

            Raph yawned and dropped onto the couch next to his brother.  “Tsu gave Ananda a lift back ta the Justice Force building.  Ya’ know women, they need ta shower and change clothes every five minutes.”

            Leo smiled.  “My only frame of reference is April and she wasn’t quite that bad.”

            “Yeah, I guess as far as women go, Ana ain’t that bad either,” Raph said.  “Don’t tell Mikey I said so, but he’s got good taste.”

            “Speaking of Mikey, where is he?” Leo asked.

            “Sneaking up behind you two,” Mikey announced, coming into view.  “I heard what you said about my good taste, Raphael.  Don’t even try to deny it.”

            “Eavesdropper,” Raph grumbled.

            “Technically we don’t have any eaves,” Mikey retorted, crawling into Master Splinter’s favorite chair and spinning around to sit sideways.  “What time is it anyway?”

            “About two a.m.,” Leo answered.

            “Where’d ya’ park Nano?” Raph demanded.

            “In the garage,” Mikey said.  “He wanted to be helpful and I wanted to sleep.  I couldn’t leave him in Donny’s lab so I told him to do some maintenance on the battle shell and the van.”

            “Ya’ better have told him ta keep his hands off of my bike,” Raph warned.

            “You don’t think I’d want something like that on my conscious do you?” Mikey asked, lifting his eye ridges for emphasis.  “I made sure it was crystal clear that he needed to stay away from your precious bike before I turned him loose.”

            The brothers sat in companionable silence for a few minutes and then Raph sighed.

            “I wish he’d hurry up and call already,” Raph said.  “I hate waiting.”

            Mikey shifted into a more comfortable position and said, “What are we gonna do if he doesn’t call today?  Aren’t we supposed to go to Don’s reception tonight?”

            Leo’s cup was halfway to his mouth and he lowered it, staring at Mikey and then glancing towards Raph.

            “Shit, I forgot about that,” Raph said with feeling.

            “Donny will understand,” Leo said, setting his cup on the table.

            “Yeah?  Is he gonna understand being on call during his own reception?  If Hun sets up a meet, Don’s gonna have ta come up with those bank numbers,” Raph pointed out.

            “We could call him now and have him give them to Nano,” Mikey offered.  “Nano won’t forget them.”

            “There are two reasons why we can’t do that, Mikey,” Leo said.  “The first is that if we call Donny now, he’ll be so worried that he’ll insist on coming home immediately.  He doesn’t even need to be here for this, he can transmit those numbers over the phone.  The second is that our agreement was for Don to give Hun the bank numbers.  If Nano shows up instead, Hun will think we’re trying to trick him.”

            “I was really looking forward to that reception,” Mikey said dreamily.  “I’ll bet there’s cake.”

            His brothers chuckled and Raph said, “Nice ta know ya’ got your priorities in order.”

            Mikey glared at him.  “Yeah?  Well unless Casey pops the question to April we probably won’t ever get to go to another wedding reception.”

            Raph sat up straighter, a startled look on his face.  “Ya’ don’t suppose we’re expected ta get dressed up, do ya’?  We ain’t got any fancy clothes; shell, we ain’t got _any_ clothes.”

            “I don’t think an oversized hoodie and baggy trousers counts as formal wear,” Mikey said teasingly.

            Leo laughed once more as Raph grumbled about how uncomfortable clothes of any kind were.  It was good to see the return to normalcy between Raph and Mikey, for a while Leo had wondered if their family would ever survive the last set of challenges.

            Just as he was beginning to relax for the first time that night, the phone rang.  Raph and Mikey immediately stopped talking and stared at the phone as though it had just turned into a snake.  On the second ring, Leo leaned forward and grabbed it.

            “Leonardo,” he said.

            _“I’m glad you didn’t keep me waiting,”_ Hun told him.  _“I have a limited amount of patience at the moment.”_

            “We could have done this hours ago if you’re in that much of a hurry,” Leo said.

            _“No we couldn’t,”_ Hun snapped.  _“I needed time to find the perfect location for our trade.  Since I know you freaks can’t show your faces in daylight and that crowded spots like bars are out of the question for the same reason, we’re going to have to do this someplace secluded.”_

            “Tell me where and we’ll be there,” Leo said.

            _“That’s another problem I had to think over,”_ Hun said.  _“That ‘we’.  You can’t bring any of the Justice Force people with you; it’s bad enough I have to conduct business in this city with you four under my feet, I don’t need any more involvement with that costumed bunch.”_

            “It will just be my brothers and Officer Longer, the policeman you kidnapped.  He’ll be the one arresting Ruffington officially, he’s earned that right,” Leo said.

            _“We’re making friends with the police now, are we?”_ Hun asked, a sneer in his voice.  _“Fine, I’ll agree to that.”_

            “In the interest of fair play, your force should be limited as well,” Leo said smoothly.  “We wouldn’t want any of your Dragons to get trigger happy.”

            Hun chortled, his voice deep and full of humor.  _“Can’t have them shooting holes in the turtle with the bank numbers I need, now can we?  I think you’ll like the spot I’ve chosen; it’s wide open with very few places to hide.  There isn’t a lot cover for even a ninja freak to play games in.”_

            “Tell me where,” Leo said.

            _“Do you know the central park Fifth Avenue entrance across from Sixth-Fifth Street?”_ Hun asked.

            “Yes,” Leo answered.

            _“Head towards the pond near Wollman Rink,”_ Hun said.  _“There’s a bridge that crosses the Pond at its widest point.”_

            “The one where the trees were poisoned last year,” Leo interjected.

            _“Right.  They haven’t replaced the trees yet so there isn’t any cover for either of us,”_ Hun said.  _“Meet me on the East side of that bridge at three-thirty a.m.”_

            “You’ll have Ruffington?” Leo asked.

            Hun snorted.  _“Yeah.  He’s clumsy and he fell down and broke his face a little, but he’s still alive.  If he was completely useless he wouldn’t be breathing, but for now he’s worth a lot of money in trade.  I hope nothing on your end changes that.”_

            Leo didn’t have a chance to respond to that because dial tone started playing in his ear.  Tucking the phone into his belt, he looked up and saw his brothers staring at him expectantly.

            “We’re to meet him in central park at the bridge over the Pond in a little over an hour,” Leo told them.  “He said no Justice Force but Officer Longer is acceptable because Hun doesn’t know he’s Nobody.”

            “Nano could drive us there and be ready in case Hun tries a double cross,” Mikey said.

            Leo nodded.  “He’ll have to stay out of sight inside the battle shell.  Use your headset to remain in communication with him and once we’re near the bridge, stay in the background so Hun doesn’t get a good look at you and know you’re talking to someone.”

            “Okay,” Mikey said, swinging his legs around and standing.  “Anything else?”

            “Yes,” Leo answered.  “Be alert.  This is Hun we’re dealing with.”

            “Ya’ don’t have ta tell me twice,” Raph said as he got up, his twin sais spinning in his hands.

            “I’ll wake Nobody and meet you guys in the garage,” Leo said, heading towards the stairs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Fifty minutes later the three brothers and Nobody, dressed in his police uniform, stood near the foot of the bridge on its East side.  The moon was full and they all felt spot-lighted under its glow, uncomfortable at being so visible.

            “We’re early,” Raph said unnecessarily as he glanced around him.

            “Hun picked the time and place, it seemed prudent for us to arrive a little ahead of schedule,” Leo said as he used Hun’s phone to call Donatello.  “Maybe we’ll throw him off his plans.”

            “Ri~ght,” Raph said dubiously.

            Leo hadn’t even heard the phone ring on his end when Don answered, _“Who is this?”_

            “Sorry bro’, it’s me,” Leo said.

            _“What’s wrong?  What happened?”_ Don asked frantically.

            “Everyone is fine, Donny.  I hate to bother you right now, especially at this hour, but we’re going to need your infallible memory in just a few minutes,” Leo said.

            _“I don’t recognize this number,”_ Don said suspiciously.  _“You aren’t calling under duress are you?”_

            “No,” Leo said.  “Listen up and I’ll explain what’s been happening since you left with Raptarr.”

            Leo had just reached the point in his story where he’d arranged with Hun to make the trade for Ruffington when Nobody interrupted.  “He’s here.”

            “Hang on Don,” Leo said, touching the speaker button and then looking up.

            Instead of appearing on the same side of the large body of water known simply as the Pond, Hun was on its opposite shore.  Two men, probably bodyguards, accompanied him, but stood back as Hun shoved Ruffington towards the foot of the bridge.

            Ruffington’s wrists were tied together in front of him and although his legs were free, he shuffled forward instead of walking normally.  The appearance of his face was testament to the rough treatment he’d received at Hun’s hands.

            Hun forced Ruffington up the short incline at the base of the bridge and then they stopped once they were on the level section.  Leo’s eyes remained on him and when the Turtle leader started up on his side of the bridge, Raph made a move to follow.  Lifting his hand, Leo stopped him and although Raph gave a low growl, he remained stationary.

            Gripping the back of Ruffington’s neck tightly, Hun stared at Leo.  “Where’s Donatello?”

            “Here.”  Leo lifted the phone out towards Hun.

            “Is that a joke?” Hun asked, his voice nasty.  “Do you know how easily I could snap Ruffington’s neck?”

            _“If you want those Swiss bank account numbers, you won’t do any such thing,”_ Don said over the loud speaker.

            Hun’s eyes narrowed.  “Worried I might grab your brother and run?” he asked Leo.

            “Let’s say it’s a lot simpler this way,” Leo said.  “Donatello will transfer a file containing the bank account numbers to this phone.  I’ll place the phone in the center of the bridge and you have Ruffington walk towards me.  For each step he takes, I’ll back away from the phone.  When he reaches the phone, he can kick it to you.  If you try anything, I’ll yell and Don will interrupt the transmission.  Once you have the phone you leave and I take Ruffington with me.”

            “What guarantee do I have that Donatello is sending me the actual numbers?” Hun asked suspiciously.

            _“Leonardo gave you his word, now I give you mine,”_ Don said.  _“You know us well enough by now to know we don’t give that lightly.”_

            Hun chuckled.  “Honesty is the best policy, right freaks?  If you try to grab Ruffington before I have the phone and see those numbers, my men will shoot him down like the mangy cur he is.”

            “If you shoot after you have the numbers, Officer Longer will radio for police backup.  This area of the park will be surrounded before you can get back to wherever it is you’ve parked,” Leo said.

            “Well, now we both have a reason to play straight with each other,” Hun said unctuously.

            Rather than bandy anymore words with the man, Leo began walking towards the center of the bridge.  He could feel rather than see Raph’s tension; the red banded ninja knew Hun well enough to distrust him.

            Reaching the arranged spot, Leo slowly set the phone in the exact middle of the bridge and then stepped back two paces.  His eyes never left Hun; if his arch enemy made even the slightest wrong move, Leo would be over the railing and into the water below in less than half a second.

            Hun’s eyes narrowed but he released his hold on Ruffington’s neck and gave him a push to get him started.  Ruffington moved like a scarecrow, his limbs disjointed and his head bowed, but he managed to stay upright as he walked towards Leo.

            Backing away from the injured man as promised, Leo watched as Ruffington approached the phone and then stopped.

            “Kick it to me,” Hun rumbled.  “Your aim had better be good because I can guarantee mine is.”

            It was a not so subtle reminder that Hun’s bodyguards were armed and from the way Ruffington’s body stiffened, it was a safe bet that he didn’t want to tempt fate.  Turning sideways, he very carefully kicked the phone towards Hun, seeing it slide within a couple of feet of the big man.

            Ruffington waited as Hun picked up the phone and check the display.  After a second, he looked up and said, “It looks like bank account numbers to me.  Keep going Ruffington.”

            It looked as though Ruffington might tangle in his own feet as he twisted back towards Leo, but he somehow retained his balance.  Moving a bit more quickly, he was only a couple of feet from the Turtle when Leo leaped forward and grabbed his shoulders.

            With a hard yank, Leo pitched the man towards Raph, who caught him before he could hit the ground.  Tossing him over one shoulder, Raph spun on his heel and raced back to where Nobody stood waiting.

            “Finish the transfer, Donny,” Leo shouted as he leaped from the bridge.

            Using the bridge’s concrete braces as a shield, Leo waited, his swords drawn in case Hun or his men decided to come after them.  From the corner of his eyes he saw Raph and Nobody carrying Ruffington back to where Nano waited in the battle shell.  Mikey held his position, his nunchaku in his hands.

            “Nice doing business with you,” Hun jeered from the other side of the bridge.

            “There’s still a warrant out for your arrest,” Leo said.  “You’re a wanted man.”

            “I’m a concerned citizen who got caught in the middle of a feud between rival gangs,” Hun said.  “When I found that a fugitive had wandered into my hands, I immediately turned him over to the police, even though it was the middle of the night.”

            “No one will buy that story,” Leo said.

            “You’re wrong there,” Hun said with a laugh.  “In order to save my friend the mayor from embarrassment, the police chief and district attorney will accept my account of what happened.  They have their fugitive and I doubt there’s any real concrete evidence against me or I would have been arrested days ago.”

            “You kidnapped a police officer,” Leo said.

            “I rescued an officer of the law when a group of thugs grabbed him,” Hun said.  “It’s all in the eye of the beholder.  So long suckers.”

            With that Hun turned and strode away, passing his bodyguards who walked backwards to watch for any pursuit until they were all out of sight of the bridge.

            Mikey waited where he was until Leo was alongside of him and they both jogged back to the battle shell.  Raph and Nobody were already inside with Ruffington on the floor between them.  The plastic zip tie on his wrists had been replaced by a pair of handcuffs, but from Ruffington’s condition, it didn’t look like restraints were necessary.

            Raph glanced up when his brothers climbed into the vehicle and then finished snapping an ice bag to release the cold.

            Carefully placing it against the side of Ruffington’s head, Raph said, “Nobody suggested we haul Ruffington to a hospital instead of the police station.”

            “I’ve formally placed him under arrest and Mirandized him, but I’d rather do it again in front of witnesses considering the condition he’s in,” Nobody said.

            “Any chance they’ll blame that on you?” Leo asked with concern.

            Nobody showed Leo both his knuckles.  “Not a bruise on them.  There’s no question that I didn’t give this man a beating.  Besides, if necessary Tsunami will testify that I was with him most of the night tracing down a lead.  Tsunami has no problem with distorting the truth while under oath if he needs to.”

            Raph snorted in amusement but didn’t say anything.  Mikey had climbed into the front seat with Nano and peered over his shoulder at them.

            “Where to boss?” Mikey asked.

            “Mercy General,” Leo said, staring into Nobody’s eyes.  “We have a patient to deliver.”


	99. JF99 Gathering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 5,382  
> Rated: NC-17 Leo/Mikey, Raph/Tsunami  
> Summary: The family spends most of the day resting before Don's big night. As family and friends gather at the lair, April asks for a synopsis of everything that has happened.

            Riding down in the elevator after they parked the battle shell in the garage, both Leo and Mikey noticed that Raph was stewing.

            They had dropped Nobody and Ruffington off at the hospital and headed back to the lair.  Along the way, they stopped so that Nano could take the Justice Force launch back to the JF building.  He would return in it with Ananda around dusk so that they could go to Avian with Mikey.

            The orange banded turtle drove the rest of the way home, with Leo in the passenger seat.  While Leo used his shell cell to call Donny and apprise him of the outcome of their trade, Raph maintained a sullen silence.

            Now he was nearly at the boiling point; Mikey even imagined he saw wisps of smoke trailing from Raph’s ear slits.  Since they had no idea what was bugging him, both Leo and Mikey knew they needed to ask.  They were just waiting for a time when they weren’t trapped in an enclosed space with him to do so.

            As soon as the elevator doors opened, Raph stormed into the lair, glaring around as though whatever was offending him might be hiding there.

            Leo and Mikey exchanged glances and then Mikey said, “Come on Raph, give.  What’s eating you?”

            Raph spun around, his gold eyes blazing.  “That bastard Hun got away again!  He’s the big fish we should’ve caught, not Ruffington.  Hun’s gonna get off scot free after causing so much trouble and I guarantee that asshole is gonna be laughing at us all the way ta the bank!”

            “Not quite,” Leo said softly, watching his seething brother closely.

            “What do ya’ mean ‘not quite’?” Raph demanded.  “Do ya’ know something we don’t?”

            “After Don finished transferring the bank account numbers, he called the authorities and told them about the money and about how Hun was going after it,” Leo said.

            “Big fucking deal,” Raph spat.  “Hun has the mayor in his back pocket.  They’ll turn blind eyes ta whatever Hun does just like they always do.”

            “Donny didn’t call the local authorities,” Leo said, his lips curving upwards.  “He got in touch with Interpol and the US Treasury Department.  When Hun walks into that Swiss bank to claim those funds, he’ll have the international police all over him.  While the diplomats and the US State department wrangle over the ownership of that money, Hun will be sitting in a cell as his attorney’s try to talk the IRS out of burying him for a hundred years.”

            Raph stared at Leo for several minutes as he processed what his brother had just told him.  A big grin suddenly spread across his face, the eyes that were burning feverishly just moments before now gleaming with satisfaction.

            “That damn Donny’s got an answer for everything,” Raph said.  “If he wasn’t hanging around in the clouds with Raptarr right now, I’d give him a reward he wouldn’t forget anytime soon.”

            Just as Mikey opened his mouth to make Raph a counter offer, the sound of the elevator turned all three of them.  The doors slid open to reveal Tsunami.

            “Nano returned to our home and informed me that Nobody has finally caught his man,” Tsunami said as he entered the lair.  “It appears that I’ve missed out on all of the fun.”

            “It wasn’t that much fun, I didn’t get to hit anybody,” Raph said sourly.

            “Well then, you must have a lot of excess energy to dispel.  I might possibly be able to help with that,” Tsunami said suggestively.

            Raph smirked.  “Oh yeah, ya’ gonna let me pound on ya’?”

            With a small snort, Tsunami replied, “Something like that.”

            “I’m going to get some breakfast,” Mikey announced loudly.  “Leo, do you want some breakfast?  I mean, before these two make you lose your appetite?”

            “I want breakfast,” Raph said, shoving Mikey towards the kitchen.  “Just ‘cause Tsu can’t get enough of me and shows up unannounced don’t mean I’m gonna skip a meal for him.”

            Master Splinter walked into the kitchen twenty minutes later to find three of his sons and Tsunami seated around the table.  What remained of a platter of pancakes and scrambled eggs occupied the countertop near the stove, while a steaming pot of tea sent forth its calming scent.

            Leo pulled back a chair for his father as Master Splinter brought his morning tea to the table.  As he sat down, Master Splinter asked, “Was your evening successful?”

            “Yes and no,” Mikey answered.  “Nobody got Ruffington back, but Hun got away with the bank numbers.”

            “Well, not exactly ‘away’,” Leo said with a small smile, his eyes meeting Raph’s.  “Donny sent the feds after him.”

            Raph chuckled as he took a bite of his pancake and Master Splinter smiled, happy to see that his sons appeared so relaxed.

            “Hey, how are we getting to Avian tonight?” Mikey asked.

            “Don said to be on the roof above the garage at eight-thirty,” Leo said.  “Apparently transportation has already been arranged.  He wouldn’t tell me anything else, except that we had to wear tuxedos.”

            “What?”  Raph’s head jerked up, crumbs of pancake exploding from his mouth.

            Leo started laughing and Raph aimed a fork in his direction.  “Very funny.  I ain’t gonna forget that Fearless.”

            “Dressing up is not required,” Leo said, still chuckling.  “Anybody who wants to can, but Don said that the party isn’t that formal.”

            “I believe that Silver Sentry has two or three dress suits that would fit you nicely,” Tsunami told Raph.

            “Nano could bring one over when he comes back with Ana,” Mikey offered helpfully.

            “I ain’t wearing a monkey suit for anybody,” Raph grumbled, glaring at both Tsunami and Mikey.

            “I have something nicely suitable for the occasion,” Master Splinter announced, a dreamy look in his brown eyes.  “I shall dress accordingly.”

            It struck Leo that his father had never believed he would have the opportunity to see any of his children become romantically attached to the point where they would either marry or be joined with someone.  Master Splinter was looking forward to the celebration and Leo decided that he and his brothers would do their utmost to make it one that would bring their sensei joyous memories for many years to come.

            Leo caught Mikey looking at him and from the expression on his little brother’s face he knew that Mikey was thinking the same thing.

            “After practice I’m gonna sleep until it’s almost time to go,” Mikey said.  “I’m way behind on my beauty rest.”

            Raph snorted and Master Splinter said, “There is no practice today.  You boys have had a stressful evening and should go to bed.  I would like everyone to be fresh and in a good humor for Donatello’s party.”

            “Won’t get no arguments from me,” Raph said with alacrity, jumping up from the table and taking his plate over to the sink.

            Mikey rose also, saying, “You guys clear up and I’ll start washing the dishes.”

            Raph turned around, leaning against the sink as he grinned slyly at Tsunami.  “Hey Tsu’s the water master here.  He got himself a free breakfast; the least he can do is clean the dishes.”

            “Guests do not wash dishes in our home,” Master Splinter said, lightly scolding Raph.  “Leave them; I will take care of the breakfast things.”

            Tsunami picked up his plate and took it to the sink, a cocky grin on his lips as he locked eyes with Raph.  “Thank you for your hospitality Master Splinter,” he said in a smooth aside to his lover’s father.

            Leaving the kitchen and Master Splinter behind, Leo and Mike watched in high humor as Tsunami trailed along behind Raph, who was headed towards the stairs.

            Half way up Raph spun around and pinned Tsunami with a menacing stare.  “I guess this means ya’ ain’t got anyplace else ta be?”

            “Alas, I have been hopelessly corrupted by your charms,” Tsunami replied with a wicked grin.

            “Oh yeah,” Raph said, eyes narrowing.  “Well, if you’re gonna come ta my room with me then you’re gonna have ta work for those ‘charms’.”

            “I wouldn’t dream of doing otherwise,” Tsunami said with a smirk.

            The pair quickly disappeared into Raph’s room, the door closing with a loud bang.

            Mikey was chuckling as his eyes came back down, turning to find Leo staring at him.  The laughter caught in Mikey’s throat at the smoldering look of desire on Leo’s face.

            “I don’t think we’ve had a minute of alone time since you and Nano became an item,” Leo said, his voice low and meaningful.

            “N . . . no we haven’t,” Mikey stuttered and then swallowed in an attempt to control his speech.  “Looks like we’ve got until nightfall, what did you have in mind?”

            “That’s an interesting question,” Leo said, slinging an arm across Mikey’s shoulders and proceeding upstairs with him.  “How about I show you rather than try to answer it?”

            Those words had a slightly predatory sound to them and Mikey found himself shivering in anticipation.  Since going with the flow was one of his mottos, Mikey docilely followed Leo’s lead, entering his older brother’s room with him and waiting as Leo locked the door.

            Guiding Mikey to the center of the room, Leo indicated he should remain where he was standing.  After removing his swords, Leo took a seat on the bed.

            “Take off your gear,” Leo instructed.  When Mikey eagerly reached down to remove his weapons, Leo added, “Slowly.”

            Pulse racing, Mikey did as he was told.  Leo had a bit of a voyeuristic streak and since Mikey was an attention hog, putting on a show for his big brother gave him a major sexual high.

            By the time Mikey had removed the last of his gear, he was having a difficult time containing a steadily hardening erection.  He knew darn well that Leo saw the bulge in his plastron, his brother’s eyes had gone down to look at it several times and once Leo had even licked his lips.

            “Come here,” Leo said, his normally smooth voice turned gravelly with desire.

            Mikey set a speed record as he crossed the intervening space to stand in front of Leo.  With a satisfied smile, Leo flattened his palm against Mikey’s trapped arousal and pressed down, moving his hand in small circles.

            Panting, Mikey’s legs slid further apart and he shifted his hips forward, using his blue eyes to silently plead with Leo.  Being with Nano was exciting and hot, but nothing beat how worked up Mikey could get from Leo’s slow, sensual teasing.

            As his hand backed away slightly, Leo whispered, “Drop down.”

            He didn’t have to be told twice.  Mikey’s flushed and completely erect cock made a quick appearance.  Leo palmed it as soon as it came into view and Mikey gasped when his brother began to slowly stroke his heated flesh.

            The tip of Leo’s tongue slid out of his mouth and he leaned forward to tickle the head of Mikey’s cock.  Fists clenching and toes digging into the ground, Mikey churred loudly, making no attempt to hold back the sound of his pleasure.

            Leo leaned to the side and dug beneath the mattress to extract a small bottle of lubricant, which he held up in front of Mikey’s face.  Needing no further urging, Mikey snagged the bottle from his brother’s hand and flipped open the top, coating his fingers liberally before reaching back to prep himself.

            As Mikey worked his fingers inside in own ass, Leo began sucking him off, doing so at a slow languid pace to keep Mikey fully aroused.  Listening carefully to the sounds Mikey made, Leo judged when he needed to stop and simply hold Mikey’s cock, effectively keeping his younger brother from blowing his load.

            “Oh shell, Leo,” Mikey moaned.

            He had penetrated himself with two fingers at this point, barely feeling the burn of stretching his anal cavity so widely.  All Mikey wanted at the moment was to feel Leo’s dick inside of him so that Mikey could finely get off.

            Leo’s mouth and hand abruptly left Mikey’s swollen flesh as the older Turtle slid back on the bed and lay flat on his carapace.

            “Strip me, Mikey,” Leo ordered, his half-closed eyes centered on his brother’s face.

            With a groan of relief, Mikey’s fingers slipped out of his ass and he leaned down to pull the pads off Leo’s knees.  His brother’s legs were together, so Mikey spread his in order to climb over them, straddling Leo’s thighs as he removed his brother’s belt and the remainder of Leo’s gear.

            While he worked, Mikey threw an occasional look up towards Leo’s face.  His brother’s eyes were focused on Mikey’s erection, watching as it bobbed between Mikey’s legs with each of the younger Turtle’s movements.

            A loud thump from down the hall was followed by a cry of enjoyment and Mikey grinned.  His attention came back to Leo when his brother sat up and grasped his erection in a rough hand, squeezing it gently.

            “I’m ready to come out,” Leo told him, his amber eyes feverish with desire.  He released Mikey’s cock and lay back down, waiting patiently.

            Mikey nodded numbly, unable to comprehend how his brother could stay focused enough to contain his own erection for so long.  Leaning forward, Mikey painted a wet stripe along the widening gap in Leo’s plastron and greedily welcomed Leo’s cock into his waiting mouth.

            Leo allowed Mikey to suckle his throbbing flesh for several moments before placing his fingers against Mikey’s forehead and pushing him away.

            “Lube,” Leo said in a guttural whisper.

            Snatching up the bottle, Mikey poured lube into his hand, his excitement making him clumsy.  He barely remembered to snap the lid closed before tossing the bottle aside as he circled Leo’s cock with his slick hand, pumping his brother a few times and then rubbing his palm across the head of Leo’s penis.

            Mikey watched Leo’s face avidly, waiting for a sign that his brother was ready.  With a loud churr, Leo nodded and Mikey crawled forward, lifting and positioning his anus directly above Leo’s cock.

            Holding Leo’s dick upright, Mikey slowly sat down on it, shaking as he was penetrated.  He had to fight his own enthusiasm and not move too quickly, he had done that a time or two and paid for it later.

            When Mikey was fully seated on Leo’s dick he groaned with satisfaction, wriggling his hips and grinding Leo’s cock into his ass.  Leo’s hands came down on Mikey’s knees and he gripped them firmly, lifting his hips to signify that Mikey should start moving.

            Rising up until just the head of Leo’s cock was still inside of him, Mikey sank again quickly.  With ever increasing speed he repeated the maneuver, adjusting his body to provide the best penetration possible.  Leo wrapped a hand around Mikey’s straining dick and began stroking it, knowing that Mikey wouldn’t last long after he managed to hit his own prostate with Leo’s cock.

            It happened so suddenly that Mikey was taken by surprise.  Leo’s cock caressed the sensitive nerve endings inside Mikey’s ass and the younger Turtle nearly leaped off his brother in surprise.  Gasping and panting, Mikey aimed for that spot again, hitting it unerringly.

            Calling out Leo’s name over and over, Mikey came, his orgasm causing his entire body to shake.  With a loud grunt, Leo climaxed as well, emptying himself deep inside the youngest.

            Eyes closed, Mikey’s chest rose and fell swiftly, his cock twitching out the last of his seed onto Leo’s plastron.  He could feel his brother’s dick inside of him, the organ still expanding and contracting as Leo’s come continued to flow.

            Exhausted, Mikey finally collapsed next to his brother.  His eyes peeked open when he felt the bed dip next to him, seeing that Leo had rolled over and lifted himself onto an elbow.  Smiling down at his brother, Leo pressed his mouth to Mikey’s, indulging in a deeply satisfying kiss.

            Mikey sighed when Leo pulled away, watching his older brother get into a comfortable position before draping an arm across Mikey’s plastron.

            “Wow, I’m totally gonna pass out now,” Mikey said groggily.  “Maybe we should set an alarm so we don’t oversleep.”

            “We won’t,” Leo told him in a sleepy voice.  “My internal clock is on, I’ll wake you when it’s time to start getting ready.”

            With that assurance, Mikey drifted into a sound sleep.

~~~~~~~~~

            Several hours later, Mikey emerged from the bathroom both clean and refreshed.  It didn’t bother him at all to have missed lunch because he rationalized that just left more space in his stomach for whatever food was going to be served at Donny’s joining celebration.

            Ducking into his room, he swiftly pulled on fresh gear and a clean mask, tucking his nunchucks into his belt before heading downstairs.

            Mikey wasn’t surprised to find that he was the last to come down, but he _was_ startled when he saw Tsunami and Master Splinter.  Both were dressed in traditional Japanese Hakama suits, the haori on Tsunami’s a deep blue, and Master Splinter’s a silky black.  Mikey hadn’t even known Master Splinter owned such a thing and had a sneaking suspicion that Tsunami had given it to him.

            “Master Splinter you look awesome!” Mikey exclaimed as he walked over to join the gathering.

            “I could not agree more,” Nano said from behind him and Mikey spun around to see Nano step out of the elevator with Ananda holding his arm.  Behind them were Casey, April, and Angel.

            Mikey’s jaw dropped as he stared at Ananda.  She wore a flowing purple gown with an opening along one side that gave him tantalizing views of her shapely legs as she walked.  Thin straps left her arms and shoulders bare and a deeply plunging neckline made the most of her ample bosom.

            In his fogged mind Mikey noticed that April and Angel had also dressed in formal gowns, and that Casey was actually wearing a suit.  He could hear Raph teasing his human friend but the words didn’t register as he took Ana’s hands into his own and stared at her.

            “You’re beautiful,” Mikey said a little breathlessly.

            Ana giggled, a blush rising to her cheeks.  “Thank you, Mikey.”

            “Guys, Casey hasn’t been a wealth of information on what’s been happening lately,” April said, catching Mikey’s attention.  “Could someone please fill me in?  How long do we have before our transportation arrives?”

            “About half an hour,” Leo answered.  “Don wanted me to call him once we were all here, I think he’s nervous that something will happen at the last minute and we won’t show up.”

            “How about we call him from his computer and use the webcam so he can see us?” Mikey suggested.

            “Would you mind if I joined that gathering?” Nobody asked.

            Leo turned at the sound of his lover’s voice, happy to see that Nobody had ditched his disguise in favor of a well cut dark suit.

            “How did things go with Ruffington?” Leo asked as he moved over to stand next to the man.

            “He’s under protective custody at the hospital,” Nobody said.  “He’ll face trial and with the evidence we have on his international arms dealing, Ruffington will wind up in a federal prison this time, where his influence won’t buy him any favors.”

            Smiling, Leo said, “You’ll get your detective shield back for this arrest.”

            Nobody shook his head, a happy expression on his face.  “I don’t want it,” he said.  “I can do more good for this city as a Nobody.  Detective shields require the commitment of too many hours to the job.  I’d rather spend my time working with the Justice Force.”  His voice lowered to where only Leo could hear it as he added, “And to spending time with you.”

            Leo was happy to see his family and friends had started following Mikey to Don’s lab so they couldn’t see the flush rise to his cheeks.  With his brothers Leo was the all-knowing alpha male, but Nobody had the ability to touch the part of Leo’s youth he kept hidden.

            Entering Donatello’s lab last, Leo saw that Mikey had taken a seat in the genius’ desk chair in order to access the computer.  Don had obviously been awaiting the call, because his face immediately popped up on the computer screen.

            “Hey dude, the gangs all here,” Mikey said cheekily, swiveling the monitor so that the camera swept across the gathered group of friends and family.

            _“I wasn’t expecting a conference call,”_ Don said with a smile.  _“That’s a lot of people crammed into my lab.  I better not find anything broken.”_

            “No problem bro’,” Raph assured him, placing his hands heavily on Mikey’s shoulders.  “We’ll make sure Mikey stays in the chair.”

            “Hey,” Mikey protested as the group around him laughed.

            April leaned past Raph and Mikey, catching Don’s eyes as she said, “Donny, can you tell me what’s been happening?  Angel and I have no idea how you got together with Raptarr.  We received a mysterious invitation to attend your joining ceremony and when I asked Casey what was going on, he just said you guys had started dating other people.”

            _“There was a little more to it than that,”_ Don said.  _“Since everyone is pretty much there, we can try to tell you as much of the story as we can before your transportation arrives.  I’m afraid that once you get to Avian it’s going to be too noisy for storytelling.  Let Mikey begin, since the whole thing kind of started with him.”_

            Leo placed a stool behind April so that she could sit down and Nobody produced a bench seat for Ana and Angel to occupy.

            Mikey turned to grin at April and said, “Actually, it was Nano’s curiosity that brought us together.  We uh . . . .” he stopped and glanced at Angel and then his father, deciding it would be a good plan to leave the story G rated.  “We got interested in each other when he was trying to learn about family and I wanted to help him.”

            “You and Nano are . . . ?” April began, stopping before the rest of the question was asked.

            “I’m not ten,” Angel said

            “Yeah we are,” Mikey answered.  “We kept seeing each other but I didn’t want my family to know, so we were sneaking around.  Master Splinter and Silver Sentry busted us finally and reminded us that Nano might not understand just what we were doing and that I already had a commitment.”

            He tilted his head back and caught Raph’s eyes.  His brother gave Mikey’s shoulder a squeeze, reminding him that all had been forgiven.

            “I started sensing something was off with Mikey _and_ Leo,” Raph said, picking up that part of the story.  “Neither one of them was acting normal and Leo was spending a lot of time with Nobody.”

            “Nobody and I had started working together to stop a ring of meth dealers,” Leo said.  “I suppose you could say we spent a good portion of that time on stake outs waiting for things to happen.  We got to know each other well enough to discover a mutual attraction but various difficulties made it almost impossible for us to act on it.”

            “That’s when they started chasing after illegal arms shipments and Leo managed ta get himself shot,” Raph said lightly.

            Leo glanced over and was relieved to see that Raph was only teasing him.

            _“The bullet was poisoned as we later found out,”_ Don said.  _“It was touch and go there for a while.  During that time Raptarr began coming around, offering his support, and I started to rely on his comfort.  We had always gotten along well together and then Raptarr risked his life to pull me out of a burning building.  I was pretty badly hurt, so he brought me here and his doctors cured me.”_

            “Meanwhile, we were frantic thinking that Don was trapped in that burning building,” Mikey said.  “Nano volunteered to go in to look for him, since the poisonous gas the fire might release wouldn’t affect him.  Of course he didn’t find Don, but a lot of his nanobots got burned up and he lost all of his memories.”

            “’Bout then Leo decided that Nobody needed a babysitter and I got assigned ta that task,” Raph said.  “If that wasn’t bad enough, Tsu here figured it would be great fun ta butt into my business.  It seemed safer ta work with him than ta not have any idea what kind of mischief he was up ta.”

            “We were trying to find Donny and that’s when Ana and I got close,” Mikey said.  “She was a big help since we were short one tech guy.  Ana was the one who figured out that the nanobot that Nano had hidden might contain his memories and she made him whole again.”

            “It was then I knew that Ananda must become family,” Nano interjected.

            “Wait,” April said, lifting a hand towards Mikey.  “Are you telling me that you, Nano, and Ananda are an item?”

            “Yep,” Mikey said proudly.

            “He always was a show off,” Raph added.

            “When did you find out that Don was all right?” April asked.

            “Actually, that was Chrysalis’ doing,” Leo answered.  “She had a thing for Raptarr and discovered that he wanted to be with Don.  She also learned that Raptarr was at a stage in his life where he needed to mate, and since Avian’s mate for life, she offered Raptarr a deal.  In exchange for his promise to be with her, she wouldn’t tell Don’s family that Raptarr had been keeping him against his will.  That wasn’t true and Don figured it all out after he returned home.”

            _“I came back to Avian in time to convince Chrysalis that she didn’t really want to be with someone who didn’t love her,”_ Don said.  _“That’s when Raptarr told me how he felt.  He wanted me to leave so I wouldn’t see him die, but I was too much in love with him to let that happen.”_

            “That’s so romantic!” Angel exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

            _“We still had a tangled mess though,”_ Don said.  _“Raph was angry at Mikey over the entire Nano situation and with Leo because of Nobody.”_

            “I acted like a jerk and ran off ta find some trouble ta get into,” Raph admitted.  “Tsunami bailed my ass out of a situation and convinced me he could be useful.”

            “He insists on being reminded quite frequently,” Tsunami said with his usual touch of cocky humor.

            “I watched these guys dance around the maypole and knew something was up,” Casey said.  “Remember I told ya’ babe?  I didn’t want ta say anything ‘cause the guy that’s trying ta be helpful always end up with the short end of the stick.”

            “There were a lot of emotions in play at the time,” Leo acknowledged, “but we still had to resolve the issue of the poisoned bullets that were being sold on the streets.  Don and Nobody followed a clue that took them into an old office building where a secret door led Nobody into a sub-basement.”

            “And into Ruffington’s clutches,” Nobody said.  “Fortunately Donatello called for reinforcements.  They arrived in time to keep Ruffington from removing me permanently, but I rashly chased after him without waiting on assistance.”

            “’Cause of me Nobody and Leo sorta broke up,” Raph said.  “We finally got our shit together enough ta track Ruffington ta the docks.  When we got there we found the bullets and some illegal weapons ready ta be shipped out of there.  We managed ta stop that plan but Ruffington got away and Hun grabbed a briefcase containing a bunch of evidence and a thumb drive with bank account numbers on it.”

            “Except that through some incredible sleight of hand by Leonardo, Hun didn’t actually get the thumb drive,” Nobody said.

            “Nobody was injured so we went back to the lair,” Leo said.  “Don dried the unit off and studied the information that was on it.  As you know, anything Don sees, he remembers.”

            “Then Leo and Raph made up,” Mikey said with a grin.

            Leo cleared his throat, making Raph chuckle.  “The next day Nobody took the thumb drive to the officers who were investigating Ruffington.  He was still on the run and so was Hun.”

            “It was then I decided it was time for my sons and I to have a conversation about all that had occurred,” Master Splinter said.  “They behaved maturely in deciding that the borders of our family would benefit from expansion and that they would no longer lie or attempt to hide things from one another or from me.”

            “I was so excited after that I went straight to the JF building to tell Ana how Nano and I felt about her,” Mikey said.

            _“And Raptarr came to the lair to . . . propose to me,”_ Don said.

            Raph and Leo both laughed, drawing curious looks from all but Mikey.  “’S nothing,” Raph said.

            “Nobody and I met later that night and agreed to stop hiding our feelings from each other,” Leo said, bypassing details that Angel didn’t need to hear and no one else wanted to.

            “Me, Case, and Tsu took off later ta bust up some corruption down at the docks,” Raph said.  “We’d just finished clearing that up when we received a call that Mikey was in trouble.  Ruffington eluded everybody by doubling back ta the JF building and he grabbed Mikey as ransom for his thumb drive.”

            _“While all that was happening, I was on Avian performing a joining ceremony with Raptarr,”_ Don said.  _“That ceremony is the reason for this evening’s celebration.”_

            “We didn’t inform Don about any of this because we didn’t want to disrupt that occasion for him,” Leo said.

            “Tsu and I came ta Mikey’s rescue and caught Ruffington in the bargain,” Raph said.  “The next morning we met up with Nobody the cop and turned Ruffington over ta him.”

            “Unfortunately, Hun heard the report of Ruffington’s capture on the police scanner,” Leo said.  “He showed up just as Nobody was leaving with Ruffington and ambushed them.  I was watching from a distance and saw Hun grab both Nobody and Ruffington.”

            “He called us and grabbed Nobody’s police car,” Mikey said.  “You know those high speed chases you see on TV?  We had one of those with Leo behind the wheel.  I saw my life flash before my eyes.”

            Raph slapped the back of Mikey’s head lightly before saying, “Chrysalis came along just then and pulled Hun’s car apart.  We got Nobody back, but Hun escaped with Ruffington.”

            “Ana tracked a GPS signal that gave us a clue to where Hun might be,” Mikey said proudly.  “He wasn’t there, but he’d left a phone for us on site.  Hun called and said he’d trade Ruffington for the bank account numbers.”

            “We agreed,” Leo said.  “There wasn’t much choice; if we hadn’t Ruffington would have been no further use to Hun and would have been disposed of.”

            _“Leo called and told me then what all had happened, because those numbers were in my head,”_ Don said.  _“I gave them to Hun when he gave Ruffington to Leo.”_

            “That’s pretty much the extent of everything that’s happened,” Leo said.

            “Except that Donny here sent the feds and the IRS after Hun,” Raph said with a laugh.

            Everyone stopped talking at that point and looked at April.  Her eyes were wide open and unmoving, her mouth slightly parted.  After a second she closed her mouth and blinked.

            “Wow,” April said, exhaling sharply.  “Sorry I asked.”

            Laughter filled the room, bouncing off the walls of Donatello’s small lab.  When it finally subsided, Don said, _“You guys better get up to the roof now, your transportation is on the way.”_

            As everyone began filing out of the lab, Mikey stood up and reached to turn off the computer.  Before he did though, he asked Don, “Hey bro’, is there gonna be cake at this party?”

            Donatello laughed; his smile bright and happy.  _“Yes, Michelangelo.  There is a lot of cake.”_


	100. JF100 Celebration of Joining - Finale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Word Count: 5,222  
> Rated: NC-17  
> Summary: The party on Avian is a lavish affair filled with surprises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This lovely preview was commissioned from the very talented Teratophelia on DeviantArt.  
> 

            Getting to the roof of the garage meant climbing an access ladder.  The male members of the party, other than Master Splinter, ascended in that manner.  Nano transported the women and Master Splinter onto the roof in a more expeditious and less taxing way.

            Though Nano’s assistance had meant their gowns didn’t get rumpled or dirty, the breeze that had kicked up was something he couldn’t do anything about.

            Bringing both hands up to try and save her hairdo, April lamented, “I spent an hour on my hair!  The wind is going to destroy it.”

            Casey’s eyes weren’t on her though; he was looking upwards.  “I think you’re gonna have ta get over that babe.”

            Following his example, April looked up.  Coming down from the sky were two very large open carriages, each pulled by a muscular Avian male.

            The carriages where white with elaborate gold trim.  A pair of lamps shone brightly against the night sky, one on each side of the back part of the carriages.

            Each of the Avians was dressed in the same color scheme, a glowing Y’Lyntian crystal on their belts, around their necks, and on their headbands.  It was obvious that the lamps each contained a crystal, thus giving the Avians control over the carriages.

            The guests stepped back to give the Avians space to land.  Once the carriages set down, the doors opened.

            It took a couple of minutes for the group to decide how they would split up into their transportation, but finally Master Splinter, Leo, Nobody, Angel, Raph, and Tsunami took facing seats in the first one.  The back carriage held Mikey, Nano, Ananda, Casey, and April.

            Once they were inside, the doors closed.  April stared at the Avians with some trepidation, concerned that the weight in the carriages would make it difficult for the men to control, but the take-off was as smooth as the landing.

            Soaring over New York City, the group watched the bright lights below them begin to fade away.  In a matter of moments they penetrated a thick layer of clouds and the twinkle of hundreds of stars drew their attention.  Without the gleam of artificial light interfering with their view, the guests exclaimed at the brilliance of the stars.

            Soon another, brighter glow drew their attention and the group watched as Avian came into view.  Their trajectory brought the carriages into a straight path with a grouping of twinkling lights; that one section of Avian more lit up than any other.

            A platform extended out from a tall building and the Avians maneuvered the carriages onto it, gliding in to land softly.  The back harness that connected the men to the carriages snapped off and the men moved around to manually open the carriage doors.

            From where they stood the group could hear the sound of both music and voices.  The two Avians moved towards an archway that led into the building and signaled for the group to follow them.

            They entered a massive antechamber, the walls a gleaming gold with colossal mahogany timbers supporting the high ceiling.  In front of them were a pair of gigantic wooden doors, inlaid with gold filigree and the two Avians went directly to them, each pulling open one of the doors.

            Stepping through the doors the first thing the guests noticed was that the massive room contained one wall made entirely of glass.  The next was that multi-colored lights festooned every available space, lending an incredibly festive air to the scene.

            A group of musicians sat on a podium to one side, their music a gentle accompaniment to what looked like a grand ball.  As large as the room was, it seemed to overflow with other guests, all mingling and talking happily, many of them dancing.

            The Turtles were beginning to feel extremely under dressed and more than a little self-conscious when they saw a beaming Donatello coming towards them, following by an equally delighted looking Raptarr.

            “I’m so happy you’re here!” Don exclaimed, clasping each of his siblings and his father in a hug.

            Shaking hands with his other guests, Don was pulled into an embrace by April, who kissed his cheek and said, “You look fantastic.”

            Don blushed and looked down at his serape like outer garment.  The thick silk hung down over his plastron and carapace, leaving his arms free.  It was purple in color and trimmed in gold.

            “I’ve got one of these for you guys too,” Don said, turning to Raptarr who carried the garments.

            Each of the garments was a different color; blue for Leo, red for Raph, and orange for Mikey.  The openings in each were wide, allowing Leo to maneuver his over the katanas on his back.

            “Wow, you really went all out for this party,” Raph said in appreciation.

            “I think my people despaired at my ever finding a mate,” Raptarr replied, placing a hand lovingly on Don’s shoulder.

            “Yeah, yeah, save the mushy stuff.  Where’s the food?” Mikey asked to everyone’s amusement.

            “Michelangelo is a turtle of large appetites,” Nano said, a smile forming at his own double entendre.

            The other Turtles rolled their eyes but Ana giggled and laced her fingers through Nano’s.

            “You’d think no one ever feeds him,” Leo said with a straight face, drawing a double take from Raph who grinned at his brother.

            “Let me show you guys around,” Don said.  Seeing the look on Mikey’s face, he hastily added, “We’ll go to the food table first.”

            As they walked through the great hall, the group stopped periodically so that introductions could be made to other guests.  Master Splinter beamed with pride as Avians expressed their devotion to and gratitude for his son Donatello’s willingness to save their hero’s life.

            The group saw both Chrysalis and Silver Sentry as they moved through the crowd.  Chrys looked much happier than she had in a long time and SS had brought his fiancé.

            Mikey basked in the attention along the way, but it wasn’t until he spotted the tables filled with food that his grin turned into a face splitting smile.  While a lot of the food was unrecognizable, there was plenty of the kind he knew and appreciated.  It was obvious that the Avians knew how to throw a party.

            Grabbing Don’s arm, Mikey asked, “You don’t have to do some fancy cake cutting thing do you?  ‘Cause I see a big cake over there and I want some.”

            Don chuckled.  “No Mikey; no cake cutting, no first dance, no speech making.  It’s just a big celebration.  Save room, there’s more than one kind of cake.”

            “I’ve died and gone to heaven,” Mikey said.  “If you move in with Raptarr can I come too?”

            He didn’t wait for an answer, plunging toward the cake with the determination of a starving man.  Don was happy to see him grab a plate rather than just digging in with his fingers, something that had worried the genius when he saw the avid expression on his youngest brother’s face.

            Someone tapped Don on the shoulder and he turned around to find April standing behind him.

            “Talk to me for a second?” she asked.

            “Um, sure,” Don replied, leading the way to a fairly quiet corner.  He looked at her expectantly, wondering why she needed to talk in private.

            “Okay, I’m going to do the big sister thing and pry a little,” April said after taking a deep breath.  “Are you and our brothers still together?”

            Don smiled.  “I suppose it is confusing.  Yes, we’re still ‘together’.  We all have an open relationship with each other and with our new partners.  I guess sharing just comes naturally to us.”

            “The others don’t mind?” April asked.

            “Not at all.  Raptarr has my undying love and so do Leo, Raph, and Mikey.  When I’m with my brothers, I’m completely with them.  When Raptarr and I are together, it’s about us.  It isn’t as difficult as it might sound,” Don said gently.

            “Well, I got used to you four having a relationship and I suppose I can get used to this,” April said with a smile.  “As long as you’re happy then so am I.”

            She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.  Don squeezed her in return, happy to have such a caring big sister.

            “Hey, stop trying ta poach my gal, you’re a married turtle,” Casey said, coming up behind them.

            They released each other with a laugh and Don said, “I don’t know Casey, she’s pretty tempting.”

            “Ya’ got that right,” Casey said.  Grabbing April’s hand, he added, “Come out here and dance with me so I can show off for ya’.”

            “Why Casey Jones, I had no idea you could dance,” April gushed as they made their way onto the dance floor.

            In another area of the room, Raptarr signaled a waiter over to where he stood talking to Raph and Tsunami.  Lifting a pair of long stemmed glasses from the waiter’s tray, Raptarr handed them to his friends.

            “Champagne,” Raptarr said when Raph eyed the glass curiously.  “We do not have an equivalent libation on Avian, so we import the ‘good stuff’.”

            Raph sniffed the contents, his beak wrinkling slightly as the bubbles tickled it.  “The good stuff is beer pal, but I’ll try anything once.”

            As he took a swallow, Tsunami said, “He certainly will, I can attest to that.”

            Raph started coughing and Tsunami grinned into his glass.  “You’re so full of shit,” Raph growled.

            Nobody signaled to Raptarr, who excused himself to go to his team mate.  Raph took another sip of his drink, silently admitting he could get used to the stuff.  He watched Casey lead April out onto the dance floor, smirking at his friend as the big guy twirled his best girl around.

            Also dancing was Mikey and Ananda.  Raph stared in amazement as his brother led Ana through some fairly complicated steps and then dipped her, planting a big kiss on her lips as he lifted her back up.

            He felt Tsunami’s eyes on him and turned his head to see his lover’s cocky grin.

            “Is Mikey the only one in your family who can dance?” Tsunami asked.

            “Don’t even think about it,” Raph snapped.

            “I will let you lead,” Tsunami teased.  “Surely you do not want to miss such a golden opportunity.”

            “Oh, I’m gonna dance all right,” Raph said.

            Without another word, he shoved his glass into Tsunami’s hand and strode across the floor to where Chrysalis was standing.  Tsunami watched as Raph bowed slightly, offering Chrys an engaging smile before saying something to her.  Chrysalis nodded and Raph took her hand, walking her onto the dance floor and then taking her into his arms.

            Chuckling, Tsunami watched them dance for a bit, noting that the muscular turtle could not only dance well, but that he had style while doing so.  Making a mental note to someday ask how he had learned, Tsunami polished off the champagne in both glasses before putting them down.

            Setting off across the dance floor, Tsunami approached Raph and Chrys with determination.  Raph scowled at him but kept dancing, purposely turning his back on Tsunami.

            Reaching out, Tsunami tapped Raph on the shoulder, the universal request to cut in.

            “I already said I ain’t dancing with ya’,” Raph told him.

            Taking Chrysalis’ hand off Raph’s shoulder, Tsunami said, “What gave you the idea that I was asking you?”

            Pulling Chrys towards him, Tsunami spun her away from Raph, tipping his lover a wink as he left.

            Raph muttered, “Asshole,” and then started laughing, leaving the floor in search of a fresh glass of champagne.

            “We wanted to thank you for inviting us to this wonderfully lavish affair,” Nobody said politely when Raptarr joined he and Leo.

            “You are very much my family now,” Raptarr said with a happy smile.  “I feel as if I have been given a second chance at life.  Leonardo, I have not had a chance to tell you how grateful I am that you and your brothers accepted my relationship with Donatello.”

            “I couldn’t very well deny his feelings when I was having some of my own,” Leo said, glancing into Nobody’s eyes.

            Nobody smiled at him.  “I for one am extremely glad that we have all stopped denying things.”

            They watched Donatello and Angel dance past them, noting that the young girl appeared to be having the time of her life.  Raphael had captured Ana from Mikey and was making a great show of it as he danced near Tsunami and Chrys.

            It was Mikey and Nano who set the group to laughing.  They were dancing together, but Nano was also holding a plate of food and a fork in a second set of hands, feeding Mikey as they moved.

            “Now we know why Nano and Michelangelo’s relationship works so well,” Nobody said.

            “He’s making me hungry,” Leo said.  “Let’s get something to eat too.”

            The trio joined Master Splinter at a big table after they filled their plates with food.  A couple of minutes later Don sat down with them, having turned Angel over to an Avian boy nearer her age.

            “I think Tsunami is playing matchmaker,” Don informed them, tipping his head back towards the water sprite.

            Tsunami was engaged in a conversation with an Avian man and Chrysalis, his words causing the pair to smile.  The Avian was muscular and taller than Raptarr, with long golden hair and deep blue eyes.  After a moment, Tsunami placed Chrys’ hand in the Avians and pushed them towards the dance floor.

            Seeing the group at the table, Tsunami walked towards them, swatting Raph on the rear while his lover was in the process of turning Ananda over to Nano.  Raph caught up to him just as Tsunami was pulling out a chair to sit down, and quickly pinched the blue mutant’s ass hard through his pants.

            “He cannot get enough of me,” Tsunami announced as he sank somewhat painfully into his seat.

            Raph had gone on to the food table, fixing himself a plate as he watched Mikey loading another.  The pair walked back to where their family was and sat down.

            “How much have you eaten shell for brains?” Raph asked as he watched Mikey shovel food into his mouth.

            “Dancing makes me hungry,” Mikey said around a mouthful of food.

            “Everything makes you hungry,” Don said with a laugh.

            While they teased each other, Tsunami got up and walked towards the food as though going for something to eat.  Looking back, he caught Raptarr’s eye and jerked his head to the side, signaling that he wanted the Avian to follow him.

            Raptarr waited a few minutes and then excused himself, moving in a nonchalant manner.  Tsunami had ducked into a secluded alcove and Raptarr joined him there.

            Tsunami quickly whispered something to his Justice Force collegue and Raptarr stared at him.  “I do not know; it is forbidden.”

            “It is forbidden for _you_ ,” Tsunami stressed.

            “It is forbidden for anyone,” Raptarr said.  “No one is allowed to enter.”

            Smiling mischievously, Tsunami said, “So I will not enter.  That should not be a problem.”

            Raptarr opened his mouth to say something and then stopped as he began to understand what Tsunami was going to do.  With a quick nod, the pair disappeared from the building.

            While they were gone, the group at the table discussed their immediate future.

            “Mikey and I thought we might spend a little time at the Justice Force headquarters, if that’s all right with you Master Splinter,” Leo said.  “I’d like to learn some of their crime fighting techniques and how they interact with local police officials.”

            Raph cleared his throat.  “Yeah, about that.  Tsu sort of wanted ta show me around Japan a little bit and maybe a few other places I ain’t ever seen.  With Hun and Ruffington both in federal lockups, it seemed like a good time ta go.”

            “If anything happened that required his quick return, Tsunami is quite capable of getting him back here in no time,” Nobody told the Turtle’s father.

            “I could remain on Avian while my brothers are gone from home,” Donatello said.  “Raptarr and I talked about having you stay with us as well, Master Splinter.  There’s a large guest suite in his, I mean _our_ home that you could call your own.”

            Master Splinter took a sip of tea, studying his sons from beneath bushy eyebrows.  After a moment he smiled.

            “I believe those are all splendid ideas,” Master Splinter said.  “You boys would benefit from some new experiences and the thought of a week or so enjoying the tranquility of Avian is most enticing.”

            “Sounds like we have something to toast,” Tsunami said.

            The group at the table looked up to see Tsunami and Raptarr approaching them, followed by waiters carrying trays of filled champagne glasses.

            When the pair reached the group, Tsunami and Raptarr picked up each glass individually and presented them with a flourish to all of the seated guests.

            Lifting a hand, Tsunami waved the remainder of their party over and offered them champagne.  When everyone had a glass in hand, Tsunami raised his to get everyone’s attention.

            “The last few months have been a most extraordinary time for all of us,” Tsunami said.  “Not only have each of our teams fulfilled the obligations we have taken upon ourselves, but we found a way to merge our efforts in the process.  Doing so has brought us closer together and allowed us to forge bonds that are personally satisfying as well.  One such bond is what we are celebrating tonight; the joining of Raptarr and Donatello.  Let us drink a toast to them and to ourselves while we are at it, for I have never seen a happier group than those who are before me at this moment.”

            A chorus of ‘hear, hear’ accompanied his words and everyone drank, following Tsunami and Raptarr’s example of finishing the champagne in their glasses.

            With a smug look, Tsunami placed his empty glass on the table.  Glancing up, he saw Nobody staring at him through narrowed eyes.  When Tsunami winked at him, Nobody looked over at Leonardo.

            His turtle lover suddenly had an attractive flush climbing into his cheeks as he blinked a couple of times and shifted in his chair.  Raph sat next to Leo, his eyes also on the turtle leader, Raph’s tongue flicking out across his lower lip in appreciation for what he saw.

            A few minutes after downing his drink, Don felt a warm sensation curling in the pit of his stomach and a mild rush going to his head.  At first he thought it was the effects of the alcohol; he was certainly not a drinker.  Then he felt Mikey’s hand caress his thigh and looked into his brother’s seductive blue eyes.

            “Dude, you look so cool in that purple thing,” Mikey said in a breathy voice, leaning close to Don.  “I sure have missed you.”

            Swallowing thickly, Don said, “I m . . .  missed you too, Mikey.”

            “You smell good,” Mikey said, his face inches from Don’s neck.

            Don realized that Mikey’s unique musk was all he could smell at the moment, the scent luring him closer to his younger brother.  Shaking his head as he tried to clear it, Don glanced quickly over at Leo and Raph.  His brother in red had one hand under the table, angled so it was obviously touching some part of Leo’s body.  Mumbling something into Leo’s ear, Raph’s arm began to slowly move.

            Looking at his empty glass and then at Mikey’s, Don suddenly understood what was happening to them.  His eyes sought Raptarr, only to find his lover hovering over his shoulder.

            “You should take your brothers to our room,” Raptarr said softly before Don had a chance to open his mouth.

            “What d . . . did you and Tsunami do?” Don demanded.

            Raptarr caressed his cheek, sending a hot flash straight into Don’s groin.  “I think you know.  It would be best if you save the questions for later.  Much later.”

            He stepped back as Don stumbled to his feet, nearly causing Mikey to topple over.

            “Leo, Raph, Mikey,” Don called, getting his brother’s attention.  “You guys need to come with me.”

            “Don?” Leo began, sounding puzzled.

            “Now.  I, uh, I have a special surprise for you,” Don explained, trying hard to control his growing arousal.

            Mikey jumped up from his chair in a flash, tail stiff and eyes slightly glazed over.  “I’ll go anywhere you want bro’.”

            Raph’s gold eyes raked over his two standing brothers, noticing the growing bulge between Mikey’s legs.  Rising slowly, Raph grabbed the top edge of Leo’s carapace and all but lifted him from his chair.

            “Don’s the host,” Raph said in a voice deep enough to make Don shiver.  “We belong ta him tonight.”

            “All right,” Leo agreed, starting to feel as though his shell was too tight.  He looked around at those who were still near the table and said politely, “Excuse us please.”

            The brothers hurriedly followed Don, who was leaving the room at a fast clip.  Once they were out of sight, Tsunami burst into laughter and Raptarr smiled widely.

            When Nobody started to chuckle, Master Splinter asked, “May I ask what is happening to my sons?”

            “Tsunami thought it would be agreeable for the brothers to have some quality alone time after all they have been through,” Raptarr answered as modestly as possible.

            Managing to contain his laughter, Tsunami said, “The fountain that the Avians drink from to seal their bond to one another contains a liquid that is the most potent aphrodisiac in existence.”

            “I suppose you talked some of that fountain into coming with you?” Nobody asked dryly.

            “Since it is not permitted for anyone to enter the garden where the fountain lies, that was indeed my only option,” Tsunami answered.

            Master Splinter laughed softly.  “We will call it an opportunity for my sons to strengthen their teamwork,” he said with a twinkle in his eyes.  “I believe I shall have some more cake.”

            Leaving the ballroom full of guests behind them, the Turtles broke into a run, all of them feeling more than a little anxious.  Don knew he wasn’t the only one who thought he might burst by the time they reached the large guest room he was supposed to be sharing with Raptarr.

            Don barely managed to lock the door before Mikey was all over him, nipping at his skin and sliding his hands under the ornamental garment Don wore.  When Don turned to survey the room, he saw that someone had covered the center of the floor with what looked like a hundred large and colorful pillows.

            That was all he noticed before Mikey’s mouth covered his.  Churring loudly, Don yanked the nunchucks from Mikey’s belt and dropped them on the floor.  The pair separated just long enough to pull off their ornamental garments and throw them aside before attacking each other’s lips again.

            A moan from nearby made Don’s eyes flutter open.  Leo was leaning back against Raph, almost all of his gear already gone.  His brother’s arms circled Leo’s body, one hand stroking Leo’s cock while the other finished untying the knot in his belt.

            The sight of Leo out and hard made Don drop down as well.  Pressing his cock against Mikey’s leg, Don reached up to remove his mask, his tongue still tangling with Mikey’s.

            “Donny,” Mikey groaned into his brother’s mouth.

            “I know,” Don whispered back, pulling away enough to slip Mikey’s mask off of him.

            While he was doing that, Mikey swiftly removed his belt and Don’s and then the pair fell onto the pillows, kissing and groping while divesting themselves of the remainder of their gear.

            They heard Raph’s sais hit the ground and then the two alpha males collapsed onto the pillow pile as well.  Raph gasped as Leo slithered down his body and practically swallowed his straining member whole.

            “What the f  . . . fuck Donny?” Raph managed to ask, gasping with wanton need.

            “Aphro  . . . aphrodisiac,” Don stuttered.  “Tsunami must have slipped . . . slipped it into our drinks.”

            “Lube,” Mikey barked in a guttural voice.  He was straddling Don as he pressed their cocks together and began to stroke them.

            “I don’t . . . .”  Don looked around frantically, positive that Raptarr wouldn’t have forgotten something so important.

            Sure enough, propped up on the edge of the pillow mound was a bright red cushion with two large bottles of lubricant fastened to it with a strip of satin.

            “There,” Don croaked, practically throwing Mikey towards the lube.

            Mikey wrenched both bottles from their restraints and tossed one in Raph’s direction.  Raph caught it with one hand, his eyes bright with lust as he looked down at Leo.

            “Roll over,” Raph ordered.

            Leo’s mouth came off of his brother’s dick with a pop.  The look on Raph’s face was enough to quell any argument Leo might have about bottoming and he was much too needy to fight about it anyway.

            Crawling over Raph’s leg, Leo sprawled out on the cushions.  Raph crept towards him, wary at how easily Leo was giving in, but his brother’s heavy panting and the way the veins on Leo’s cock seemed to throb told him Leo was as desperate as he was.

            Leo’s legs spread widely, his tail flattening as he presented his entrance.  For a second Raph simply gaped at the vision, positive that somewhere during their trip to Avian they’d crashed and he was actually dead.

            His own pulsating cock snapped Raph back to reality and he lunged forward, snapping the bottle of lube open with one hand.  Pouring a liberal amount on his fingers, he painted the area around Leo’s anus with a generous slathering.  Applying more lube, Raph slipped one of his slick digits inside his brother, earning a moan of relief from Leo.

            Mikey’s finger was moving inside Don as well, the digit curling slightly as he sought Don’s prostate.  When he touched it, Don almost leaped off the pillows.

            “St . . . stop that,” Don gasped.  “I’m so close already I’ll cum if you do it again.  Just . . . just enter me.”

            “Are you sure dude?” Mikey asked, sliding his finger out of Don and lubing his cock.

            “Oh Gods yes,” Don sobbed.  “Hurry!”

            Mikey needed no more urging, taking Don at his word as he crawled forward between Don’s thighs, his hand wrapped around his own dick to guide it into place.  Pushing slowly into Don, Mikey watched his brother’s face for signs that he was in pain.

            Don was in pain all right, but of an entirely different kind.  Lifting his legs, Don captured the edges of Mikey’s carapace with his knees and jerked his brother forward.

            “Want me ta fuck ya’ Leo?” Raph asked teasingly, two fingers buried inside his brother while he slowly stroked Leo’s cock with the other.

            “I’m going . . . going to take b . . . back my offer if you don’t get on with it,” Leo stammered, his heavy lidded eyes focused on Raph’s face.

            The look was so seductively shameless that Raph’s cock actually jumped.  “Oh hell, no more of this,” Raph rasped, yanking his fingers out of his brother.

            Quickly rubbing some lube onto his thick cock, Raph thrust his entire length into Leo with one fast lunge.

            “Yes!” Leo shouted.

            The sound surprised Raph who rarely heard his level headed brother become so vocal during sex.  It was an incredible turn on and if he wasn’t already so damn close to an orgasm Raph might have tried to see what other noises he could force from Leo.

            At the moment, Leo’s loud churring was doing a number on him and Raph grasped his brother’s cock, forcing another cry of encouragement out of the oldest.  Driving into Leo with full body thrusts, Raph jacked his brother, muttering obscenities that grew in volume to match the fire in his loins.

            “Raph . . . Raph!  Yes, go, go, GO!” Leo cried out as Raph plunged into him.

            Moving hard and fast, Raph followed Leo’s orders willingly, his eyes glued to Leo’s face.  A couple of minutes later, Leo mouth opened in a wordless shout, his eyes squeezing together tightly as he erupted in a powerful climax.

            It was too much for Raph.  “Fuck!” he yelled just before his orgasm tore through him.

            “Mikey more,” Don panted, the sounds of his brothers shouting through their almost simultaneous releases pushing him nearly to the edge.

            Feeling Don moving under him, lifting his pelvis to meet each of Mikey’s thrusts, was driving Mikey insane with lust.  One hand flat on the bed near Don’s hip, Mikey used the other to tug Don’s erection ever faster.  Then Don started to coo, wriggling his lower half each time he lifted his ass off the pillows.

            The effect on Mikey’s cock was electric.  A feeling akin to a swirling tornado pooled at the base of Mikey’s dick just before he erupted into a white hot orgasm.

            “Donny!” Mikey shouted as his body shook uncontrollably.

            His brother suddenly went rigid, his hands latching onto two pillows so tightly his fingers broke through the coverings.  With one long, low groan Don spilled his seed over Mikey’s fist, white, sticky ropes spurting onto his plastron as his climax rolled on and on.

            Other than the sounds of heavy breathing and the occasional gasp, no one said anything for several minutes.  Then Raph pulled out of Leo and flopped over onto his carapace.

            “Shit,” he said with feeling.

            Don started to laugh and Mikey crawled over him, falling face first into the pillows.

            “Donatello,” Leo said, taking a huge gulp of air before continuing, “How long does this stuff last?”

            Staring up at the ornate ceiling overhead, Don laughed harder.  Somehow Raph managed to drag himself over to Don’s side, grabbing onto his genius brother’s shoulders and rolling Don on top of him.

            Placing a firm hand on the back of Don’s head, Raph pulled him into a passionate wet kiss.  Raph’s tongue probing his mouth knocked the laughter right out of Don, the sound of his mirth replaced immediately by a low moan.

            When Raph finally let him lift his head, Don licked his lips and glanced up at Leo, who had clambered onto Mikey’s shell.  Mikey immediately lifted his hips, sliding his knees higher and spreading his legs to accommodate Leo.

            Feeling Raph’s once more hardened cock rubbing against his backside, Don wriggled into a more advantageous position.  His own dick was blossoming into a full blown erection again and he rubbed it against Raph’s scutes.

            Scooping up one of the bottles of lube, Don tossed it down next to Leo, who began prepping Mikey.  Don lifted his body enough to impale himself on Raph’s cock, riding him as he watched Leo finger fuck their youngest brother.

            “It lasts a long time, Leo,” Don panted, eyes half closed.  “It lasts a really, really long time.”

            “And so will we,” Leo told him, thrusting into a verbally appreciative Michelangelo.

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This piece of seductive art was created by the very gifted Sherenelle on DeviantArt.  
> 


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